Accepting Love
by Hearts1989
Summary: Daryl and Beth had to flee the prison in a hurry. Beth wants to find Maggie and Judith. Daryl tries to protect Beth by shielding her from walkers and keeping her at arm's length. Beth just wants Daryl to see her as the woman she has become. Daryl soon realizes that keeping Beth alive is easy. Keeping her out of his arms is a different story.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own the Walking Dead.

Beth could not stop crying. They had been running for hours, her and Daryl. She was exhausted and her mind was in overdrive thinking of all that just happened at the prison. Daddy was really dead? Her mind could not wrap around that thought. And Judith? She couldn't even bear to think about what might have happened to her. She had horrible images floating through her head, baby Judith being attacked by walkers. She almost couldn't breathe. Her chest felt constricted and felt as if her very heart was breaking. She followed Daryl blindly for the first few hours. Finally her sobs dwindled down to hiccups. Her eyes burned. And her feet hurt. Daryl was just plunging ahead clearing the way for them and trying to track the others.

Suddenly Daryl stopped; all the sudden the trail had gone cold. He turned around and looked at Beth. "I can't find any more tracks". It had started raining in the past hour. The rain mixed with the Georgia dirt started to form mud. The trail was gone. They had lost everything. Daryl sat down on a fallen log; an old oak in the forest they were in, weathered by this new apocalyptic world they lived in. For once in the past two years, he had no idea what to do next. He looked at Beth. "We're going to have to find a place to camp for the night". Somewhere high, away from walkers, he was thinking. Beth just nodded at him. Good lord, the girl had cried since they left the prison in a hurry, running for their lives. He tried to pretend that her crying didn't affect him, but truth was it was breaking his heart not being able to comfort her. He was in his own pain. Watching Hershel die like that. And the Governor, stupid bastard. He hoped he rotted in hell. So much had happened, it was hard to absorb at all.

Daryl got back up and continued walking, expecting Beth to follow. He looked back at her. She had sat down next to him on the log. Now her head was in her hands. She looked as exhausted as he felt. Still it was getting dark and they needed to find shelter. "Come'on Beth, we gotta go". She looked at him blankly. Oh God, he hoped she wasn't going to go off the deep end. He just couldn't do it. Crying girls always made him uncomfortable but Beth. There was somethin' different about her. He had this overwhelming urge to protect her. Not even like a sister. Daryl could not deny to himself that she was beautiful, but he tried to keep girls like her at arm's length. When he had hugged her the night Zach had died, he wanted to hold onto her forever. But it wasn't proper. He was twice her age. He was 38, but knew he looked at least 45. Life had been hard on him and Merle. Merle. It was hard to believe he was gone too. He prodded Beth again "Come'on girl, we gotta get a move on". She stared at him blankly.  
"Are they all dead Daryl? Somebody had to have made it out 'sides us. Maggie..." She trailed off, tears welling up in her eyes. Daryl could see that she was starting to lose it. He walked over to her and held out his hand. She looked at him and silently placed her delicate hand in his.

Beth thought Daryl's hands felt rough but it was nice. She felt safe holding his hand. She allowed him to pull her to her feet. Daryl tried to pull his hand away but she resisted. "Please Daryl, just hold my hand a little while?" She looked at him imploringly with her bright blue eyes, made even brighter by the recent tears she had shed.

Damnit, Daryl thought. So much for keeping her at arm's length. He felt something tug at his insides whenever he looked at this girl, but touching her? He wasn't sure he could keep her at arm's length when her skin was so soft under his. His callused fingers clasped her petite ones and he gently pulled her alongside him. They walked like this until they came to a cabin on the outskirts of the forest. It was rugged but it looked to have two stories. If they could get inside and go to the top floor, they could find a way to barricade the upstairs so walkers couldn't get up there. Walkers were scary, ugly sons-a-bitches, but they were dumb and slow. He and Beth walked up to the door, Daryl having to let go of Beth's hand to steady his arrow and she gripping her knife. They were wary. Daryl easily took out a lone walker on the porch. There didn't seem to be any others around. Walking inside, it smelled faintly of pine, but stale air had locked this cabin up. It seemed to be an old hunting cabin. Like some of the ones he and Merle used to come across back in the day.

Daryl led Beth to one of the main rooms chairs and let her sit down. He quickly cleared the only other room on this floor, the kitchen. Then he proceeded up the stairs after barricading the door with a sofa. The upstairs had a loft style bedroom and a small bathroom. This would do. He walked back down the stairs to get Beth. He looked for anything they could rig up to alert them to the presence of walkers. They needed sleep. Darkness had fallen and they were both tired. Maybe things would look better in the morning after a little sleep. He found some empty cans and a pot and pan in the kitchen. He got some twine out of his pocket; he kept it on him at all times. You never knew when you'd need it to secure the fences outside the prison. He smirked. Wouldn't have to worry about those fences anymore. After rigging up their own personal alarm system along the stairs, they trudged slowly upstairs.

Beth stopped at the top, eyeing the one bed in the room. She didn't even care. She was so tired, all she wanted to do was sleep for a week. She went over and laid down clothes, boots and all. Daryl shuffled slowly behind her and crossed to the other side of the bed. He looked at the blond and she met his eyes. A silent look passed between them. Neither one of them was comfortable sleeping with another person, but they had little choice. Daryl just hoped he could keep his thoughts pure. He was pretty sure they were both so tired, it wouldn't matter. He laid down his bow and sat on the edge of the bed. Beth scooted over and leaned her head against his back.

He could hear her breath in his ear. He turned to face her and awkwardly put an arm around her. By some tacit agreement they both laid down, Daryl with his arm around Beth and she let her head fall onto his chest. They laid there like that for some time, each lost in their own thoughts.

Beth liked the feel of Daryl's strong arms around her. Laying her head on his chest was nothing like the times she had spent with Jimmy and then Zach. They were boys. Daryl was...well, he was a man.

Daryl felt like he was breathing too shallow. All the sudden he was aware of every breath Beth took. He felt this overwhelming urge to protect her. Propriety be damned, he liked holding this delicate girl. In the space of 24 hours, she had become his whole world. Maybe not by choice, but he was making the best of the situation. He could not bear to think about losing her too. The way she looked at him. God, it was agonizing. Daryl tried to push away the thoughts that were plaguing him. He wanted to kiss her, he realized. He wondered what it might feel like to kiss her lips. He bet they were soft and she would taste sweet. He felt a familiar heat rush through him and tried to force the thoughts away. He absently stroked her head.

Beth felt Daryl stroking her hair, lightly playing with her ponytail. God, she must look a mess. After everything they had been through the past 24 hours, being held just felt good. Suddenly she was thinking of Daryl in a whole new light. She had had a crush on him before, but that was before Zach and this was different. He was her protector. There was something really...sexy about it. Beth blushed thinking about it. She was a woman after all. Even though she was still a virgin, it didn't mean that she didn't have urges.

They fell asleep like that. Beth woke up sometime in the middle of the night, Daryl talking in his sleep. One whispered word had her breath hitched in her throat. He softly whispered "Beth", then exhaled and seemed to tighten his hold on her. He was dreaming about her? Beth let herself really relax against his muscular form. She wished this night could go on forever. Beth sighed and closed her eyes, sleep overtaking her once more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay so that was my first chapter of my first fanfiction ever. I will be focusing on character development and the storyline and of course there will be a lot of scenes with Beth and Daryl kissing and "you know". Hahaha Just had to throw that in there. Please leave reviews, it's how I know if I am doing good or not and if I should continue. Thanks for your support in advance and hope you enjoy this next chapter. **

When Daryl awoke the next morning, he felt a little disoriented. Then it all came back to him. Everyone and everything was gone. Except him and Beth. He looked down at her sleeping peacefully beside him. God, she was really beautiful and she looked so sweet and innocent, her breathing deep and even. The way her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks. He tentatively reached his hand out and brushed a couple of wisps of hair back from her face. Her hair was so soft, he wanted to run his fingers through it. He looked down at her sleeping form and suddenly he had a primal urge to wrap her in his arms and...Disgusted with himself he pulled his hand away from her hair. He had to stop thinking about her like this. It was driving him crazy. He knew she was 19 now, but God she looked so much younger really. She had such smooth features and ivory skin. The strap of her tank had come down over her shoulder. His eyes traced a path down to her small firm breasts and again he had that primal urge. He cursed under his breath. She stirred beside him and opened her eyes. She smiled softly. "G'morning". He could really get used to waking up next to her every day. Damnit what was wrong with him. You'd think he was a teenager all over again. He smiled at her. "Mornin' Beth". He realized suddenly that he was painfully hard. His face flushed as he tried to cover up his predicament. He hoped she didn't notice.

Beth was so surprised to open her eyes and see Daryl watching her sleep. He had a look in his eyes. She had seen it before. It was the way Jimmy looked at her, then Zach. Daryl probably thought she was a little girl though. He usually treated her as such. Last night, him holding her in his arms, she had felt so safe. She had always looked up to him but now that they were alone, he had become her whole world. She thought back to how he had whispered her name in his sleep. Her dreams after that had been fitful.

Daryl suddenly got up from the bed and seemed to be in a hurry about something. "We got to get back on the road. Daylight's a wasting." His voice where soft before had once again turned gruff. Beth thought he might be the moodiest man she had ever met. She wished he'd make up his mind whether or not he was going to be nice to her.

He crossed the room and picked up his crossbow. Beth was surprised he didn't sleep with it. "Daryl, do you think anyone else made it out?" She had sat up and was rearranging her signature blonde ponytail. She had wracked her brain trying to remember where everyone was when the prison fell but it was so chaotic it was all she could do to get herself out. If it hadn't been for Daryl she probably would have died there looking for baby Judith. "Judith..." Beth's voice trailed off and she felt the tears welling up again.

Daryl looked at her "I dunno Beth, I hope so". He felt like he was lying to her. He felt like he had to. She looked like she was about to break down again.

Beth rubbed her hands over her face, taking a deep breath. Beth shoved down her feelings again. She could not keep doing this or she would never find anyone. She got up. They scavenged the cabin downstairs seeing if there was any food at all. They came up with a large can of peaches and another smaller can of baked beans. "Breakfast of champions, right Daryl" Beth quipped. Daryl only grunted, "it's better than nothin'." They ate in silence. Beth didn't have much of an appetite. "You need to eat more than that girl, you gotta keep your strength up". She knew he was right but her stomach felt sick, had since they had left the prison though. She forced down a few more bites of peaches, hoping it would stay down.

Daryl watched her eat. She was like a tiny, delicate bird. She just picked around at her food. She was far too skinny. She needed to eat. He vowed he would hunt today and find something good for the both of them. He always hoped for a deer but anything would do at this point. Even a squirrel would be better than nothin' but God he sometimes got sick of squirrels and rabbits.

Beth looked up at Daryl and saw that he was watching her. She nervously tucked a strand of her long blond hair behind her ear. She must have missed a piece. She took her hair down again hoping to secure it for the day this time. Her long blond hair cascaded over her shoulders, the tresses looking like spun silk.

When Daryl saw Beth take her hair down, he almost fell out of his chair. Watching the way her hair fell over her nearly bare shoulders, he had to swallow hard. He didn't think he had ever seen anything so beautiful. She was just like an angel, he thought. He had to restrain himself from reaching out to touch her hair like he just had in the bed a half hour ago. He remembered how soft it felt in his fingers. Then he caught himself. What the hell was wrong with him? He watched as she expertly twisted her hair back up into a messy ponytail. He wished she would leave it down but it probably wasn't practical.

After they scouted out the rest of the cabin, they had a backpack, a couple of sleeping bags, and a few odds and ends that might be helpful. When they headed out, they were careful to watch for walkers. They saw some out in the distance but nothing close enough to matter. They headed away from the cabin and set out to find any trace at all of anyone that they knew. It seemed hopeless, but they had to try.

Beth followed behind Daryl picking her way over fallen limbs and swampy areas. It must have rained more last night, she thought. It would make tracking harder, if not impossible. Daryl had been teaching her at the prison how to shoot and track. She had a few days training under her belt but that was it. She was nowhere near good at it yet.

They came to a crossroads with a couple of signs that hung limply near the ground. Reminders of a forgotten yesterday. Nothing from the old world mattered anymore. It was just irrelevant. The sign said Juniper 2 miles. Juniper, Georgia? She had never heard of it.

Daryl saw the sign to Juniper and wanted to turn back and head the other direction. Juniper was his hometown. Him and Merle had grown up there; just the two of them and their mean as a snake father, when he was around that is. From the time Daryl and Merle's ma left, their old man had taken everything out on them, beating them just for the fun of it. He worked at a rock quarry and brought home his paychecks and promptly blew them all on gambling, booze, and women. They had gotten kicked out of more than one place in Daryl's childhood. He wondered if the old homestead was still there. He hated that place. Daryl would rather take on a herd of walkers than to go back to that Godforesaken town. But it did have some draw, he knew the town. Knew where everything was and even knew where they might be able to find a car. The old shop in town where everyone got their cars fixed. Daryl had worked there as a 17 year old kid. He knew his way around cars, motorcycles, practically anything that had wheels.

Beth watched Daryl as he read the sign. He had a look on his face like he had just swallowed something he didn't like. What was up with that, she wondered. She followed as he seemed to head in the direction of the town. Maybe there was something in Juniper they needed. She longed for a car. Walking was fine, but her feet tended to kill her by the end of the day.

They walked in silence until they reached the outskirts of the town. The sign said "Welcome to Juniper, population 541". Beth wondered how old the sign was and she wondered how many of those 541 had survived; how many were walkers now. Beth followed Daryl up to an old abandoned building. There were cars and remnants of cars in the parking lot. Daryl went around the building, Beth trailing behind him. They heard the death growls as soon as they turned the corner. A walker met his untimely demise, again, when Daryl took out his knife and plunged it into his head, dark black blood oozing everywhere. Daryl let the walker fall to the ground and kept walking. Beth stepped around the fallen walker, a man dressed in coveralls. The tag on his coveralls said "Denny".

Daryl hated that Denny had become a walker. He took Daryl in on more than one night after a beating from the old man. Rest in peace, old friend, thought Daryl. Walking around to the back of the shop there was an old model SUV black with tinted windows. Daryl checked for keys, nothing. They would have to hot wire it. Nothing new. He had become an expert at it lately. The car actually cranked, which surprised him. The battery should be dead, but maybe they just got lucky. The back of the SUV had bottles of water, blankets and and the back row taken out. If they were hard pressed, they could sleep in the back if they needed to. Beth got in the passenger seat and Daryl placed his bow on the console between them. The tires on the vehicle were not the greatest but they would do. The truck was made to go off road but he didn't know he would risk it with those tires.

Beth thought Daryl was awful quiet. He was always somewhat of a loner and didn't talk too much but this was different. How did Daryl know that car was going to be back there? They didn't scout any other buildings. They were driving now through the town, past all the buildings and houses. Just outside of town Daryl stopped the car in front of a grown over gravel driveway. You could make out a house in the distance. Grey with black shutters hanging off the side of the house. "Why are we stopping, Daryl" Beth asked.

Daryl looked over at her with a pained look in his eyes. He had managed to avoid this town for the last several years. He guessed with their haphazard run from the prison, they had headed back towards Juniper. He finally spoke. "This is where I used to live".

Beth looked at him. She wasn't sure what to say. She didn't know much about his past. She knew he had a brother, Merle. Merle had died saving their group. "This where you grew up". Daryl shook his head. "Nah, I grew up long before I lived here". And it was true. When you had a daddy like him and Merle, you had to grow up fast; him at age seven.

Beth only nodded. Daryl proceeded up the drive, the vehicle bumping along the gravel and dirt, trampling down the tall weeds that had taken over. The weeds had taken over the house too. Kudzu climbed up the sides of the house, giving it a haunted feeling. They stopped and got out of the car. Daryl went up the steps to the porch and had to sit down. It was a mistake to come here. Beth could see he was struggling with something. She wanted to put her hand on him, but was afraid he would shrug it off. She did it anyway. Surprisingly he leaned into her. He felt raw and young and out of control all at the same time. Beth had sat down next to him. "You okay, Daryl?" she said softly.

Daryl looked at her. He needed to feel her. He had comforted her yesterday. Beth figured it was time for her to comfort him. He allowed Beth to hug him and he laid his head against her shoulder. She smelled faintly of strawberries. He said it out loud "I hate this place. Me and Merle used to live here with our old man. Mean son-of-a-bitch". That was all that needed to be said. He didn't feel like rehashing it all. It didn't even matter anymore. In a world where everything had gone to shit, the past just didn't matter. The future didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the here and now. And right now, he was with the prettiest girl in all of Georgia sitting on his old porch. It seemed surreal somehow. He pulled away from Beth and ran his hands down his face. He looked at her. They were inches from one another. He could hear her breathing. Kissing her was a mere breath away.

Beth looked at Daryl and could not help herself. He looked so raw and masculine and the way he was looking at her made her feel like a woman, not a girl, but a grown woman. She thought he might kiss her. He was looking at her lips. She leaned a slight bit into him and closed her eyes. Daryl looked at her closed lids and soft pink lips and he had to know what she tasted like. He lowered his lips to hers in a tentative soft kiss. Her lips were so damn soft, he groaned.

Beth could not believe Daryl was kissing her. She opened her mouth to allow his tongue entrance. He teased her lips with the tip of his tongue and then probed it further into her mouth. It was soft and sweet and slow. Beth had never felt anything like this before. Not with Jimmy and certainly not with Zach. She sighed.

Daryl was so lost in the moment; he deepened the kiss further upon hearing her sigh, their tongues in a primal mating ritual. He pulled her to him by placing his hand behind her head. Oh how he wanted to let her hair down from that damned ponytail. Suddenly he pulled away "Beth, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that".

Beth couldn't say a word. She was speechless. "It's okay, Daryl". Her voice was barely a whisper. She felt bereft when his lips left hers. She realized, stunned, that she wanted him to kiss her again.

Daryl got up "Let's go inside and see what we can find". Beth silently followed him inside wondering what the hell just happened.

**Ok, so there it is, chapter 2. Hope you like it. Please leave reviews. I welcome feedback. I am so excited with where this story is heading. I have so many ideas and can't wait to put them in print. Thanks in advance guys. Muahhhhh!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

As soon as Daryl opened the door to the old rickety house, door creaking as it goes; they heard the death growls. Beth braced herself for imminent battle. Upon entering it was just the one walker, hanging from the high rafters, his head lolling at an unnatural angle, crippled by the weight of itself and sheer gravity. Beth watched Daryl looking up at the walker, a strange look coming upon his face. She hoped it was not anyone he knew. What if it...

Daryl flew into a rage and started cutting the walker down from the rafters, tied to the beam in the middle of the room. He was upon the walker in a millisecond.

Daryl did not believe it was his pa hangin up there. "Stupid, mother fucking, mean asshole. Bastard..." He was stabbing the walker over and over again in the gut with his knife. Then he cut off the arms, and started chopping at the legs. It was growling and moving its head, trying to get at him. "Prick, coward, shitface, good for nothin piece of shit!" At that Daryl plunged the knife into his father's head, ending the death growls...forever. Daryl collapsed on the ground, tossing his knife to the side. Huge sobs wracked his body. Tears came that he had been holding back for years.

Beth was speechless. This big hulking man sitting on the ground, sadder than anything she had ever seen. She knelt down beside him and grabbed him in a hug, holding him tight. She was heartbroken; watching a strong man like Daryl cry was absolutely gut-wrenching. Tears were streaming down her face. "Daryl, it's okay. It's gonna be okay". Daryl laid his head in her lap. She sat there stroking his hair and his face as he clung to her as if his life depended on it. She didn't know if she could take it. She didn't even know what she was feeling right now. It just all felt hopeless sometimes. She knew Daryl had a rough past but seeing it play out in his features, watching the memories wash over him as he ravaged with his knife the thing his father had become. She sobbed along with him. She cried for Daryl and Merle, for her Mom and Dad, for Shawn, for everyone they had lost. She cried for all the times she couldn't cry . Daryl had wrapped his arms around her waist. Beth cradled his head and just rocked back and forth.

Daryl thought his guts had been ripped out. He did not even know how to feel. Raw, broken, exhausted, burning, unquenching need. He could not breathe. He felt Beth stroking his head. Comfort in the arms of a beautiful woman was not something he was used to. He had never had that, not even from his Ma. Part of him thought he should pull away, but the other part could not move. There was absolutely nowhere on earth he would rather be, a walker ridden world or no. And he thought it strange that he felt this way. Beth cleared her throat and started to sing softly "For all the money, ere I had, I spent in good company". The Parting Glass. He remembered it from the night they took the prison. He thought it was so stupid at the time, but now he thought he had never heard a more beautiful sound than Beth singing to him. There was something about her voice, smooth as honey and sultry and smoky, that was an absolute balm to his soul. He found his breathing even out as she continued to sing..."I gently rise and I'll softly call, good night and joy be with you all. Good night and joy be with you all"...and her voice faded out.

Beth stopped singing; it was the only thing she had known to do. And it worked. He had stopped crying. She continued to stroke his hair.

Daryl started speaking "My Pa was abusive. Just a mean son-of-a-bitch. A drunk" And he told her. All of it. The beatings, the starving days and nights, when there was nobody but him and Merle. He told her how he would hide from his Pa. Just hoping and praying that he would not find him. Fervently praying that his father would pass out before he could find either him or Merle. Cause they always bore the brunt of his father's frustrations. His ma leaving and his sorry lot in life. He told her of how all he had ever wanted was to grow up, leave his father's house and get as far away from Juniper, Georgia as his legs could carry him. And he had never left Georgia, not in the physical way and not in the mental way. Somehow he thought he had been running in circles, since he left here at 16, just to come to this one moment in time.

Daryl had stopped talking. Beth had just listened. He needed to get it all out, that was obvious. Daryl sat up and looked at her. "Im sorry..." He trailed off, suddenly embarassed. He wiped his face with the back of his sleeve.

Beth smiled softly at him "It's okay. If you don't let it all out, it just eats you up inside. Just starts as a small cell inside and eats away at you like a...a cancer. And then you just die from all the decay and disease in your heart". She sighed.

He was just watching everything she said. She had such conviction in her words. Daryl wished he could be that sure of anything. This girl just never ceased to amaze him. She was an old soul, his Beth, he thought. _His_ Beth? Just when did she become his, but he guessed in a way she was. She was his to protect.

Beth looked up at him, searching his eyes, trying to figure out what he was thinking. She didn't overthink it, didn't hesitate. She leaned in and softly brushed her lips against his. He placed his hand behind her head pulling her to him. He kissed her greedily. He could not get enough. God help him, he could get enough of this girl. This beautiful, complex, wonderful girl. He slowed down his movements and turned the kiss into a soft, tender, slow, sensual dance, savoring each second. Beth could not believe she was kissing him. She had not even had time to process the last kiss.

He pulled away from her and pressed his forehead against hers. "Come'on, let's go see what we can find". He got to his feet and helped her stand as well. They walked around what was left of his walker father and headed down the hall. Beth watched him as he walked away. She pressed her fingers to her now swollen lips. She smiled just a bit as they reached the last room on the left, remembering how good it felt to kiss Daryl Dixon.

Ok guys here it is as promised and almost two hours early! I got this as perfect as I could. Hope you like the new chapter. I'm building up to the next scene. Now in chapter four, things might not be so great between them for a bit. So don't get mad. lol As always, I welcome the feedback. At any rate, I am very much enjoying writing this. Til next time!

Song "The Parting Glass", as sung by Emily Kinney and Lauren Cohan, season 2, The Walking Dead.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Beth followed Daryl into a room. She looked around at the bare walls with big gaping holes in it. There were old clothes littered about, trash everywhere. Along the far wall leaned an old mattress and beside it a bed frame that was cracked in half. Daryl was opening the closet door carefully. Sounds silly in a walker infested world, but you never knew what you were gonna find when you opened a door. It's so the opposite of what it used to be. Used to be open doors meant Sunday after church and Sunday lunch with friends. Fried chicken like mama made and creamed potatoes. Beth suddenly felt homesick and hungry all at the same time. But now, no, doors were feared. Unless it was made of steel; then you got behind it and prayed with all your might the walkers in the dark world outside would just die off somehow.

Daryl stiffened up as they walked in his old room. "It's a shit hole" I know. Daryl's face reddened looking around his old room. He had spent many of a night in here as a kid. He remembered hiding in the closet from his Pa when he was on one of his rants, which was almost all the time. The placed had sucked then, he knew, but looking at it now, he was ashamed. He hated that this was what he had come from. He knew Beth had an ideal childhood. Growing up on a farm with a mom and a dad who were still together. Yeah, that was about as perfect as it would get, he thought.

Beth whispered "Daryl...".

"It don't matter none." He growled. That kiss, he thought suddenly. Damn but he was a stupid bastard. He shuddered to think what Hershel would say. Hershel was like the father he had never had. He had to keep Beth safe. That was for sure. He just didn't know how the hell be was going to keep his hands off her. He went to open the closet, carefully, bow cocked and ready, and twisted the doorknob slowly. Creaking it open he listened for the death growls. He opened it all the way. Nothing inside. Nothing but more trash and old clothes. It smelled stale, a faint odor of urine still permeating the air.

He knelt down at the back right corner and used his knife to pry up that old board. Upon opening it, he was relieved to see the peanut butter, jelly and vienna sausages cans still there. Along with it were a few cans of stolen beer of his father's. When his dad had been drinking so much, he never knew where his stash was. He hid stuff everywhere, then forgot where he put it. Half the time, that's why Daryl and Merle got beat so much. Thinking back now, it probably was his fault his old man beat the shit out of him every day. But now that he and Beth had a source of food, he was grateful for every single lash, punch, kick, and burn his father had unleashed upon him.

What he had stashed away, would last them for a good long while. He used to stash the food under this board when he was young cause you could never tell when the old man would have any money for food or when he wouldn't. So yeah, he was thankful for those beatings, he guessed.

Beth could not understand him to save her life. One moment they were kissin, and the next he was being an ass to her. She saw right through him. He thought she was a young and stupid child. God, she was tired of everyone treating her like a baby. She was a 19 year old _woman_. She deserved to be treated as such. She was seething by the time Daryl started handing her peanut butter, jelly, vienna sausages, chips, and cans of tuna. It was an odd array of items, but anything would do really. When he handed her the first jar of peanut butter she quickly reached for her pack and started putting the items he was handing her into her bag. He was going too fast though. "Speed it up girl, we ain't got all day!" He snarled at her.

That was it, thought Beth. She was going to let him have it. At that, she threw the bag of chips he had just handed her, back at his head. Daryl looked at her with the meanest look she had ever seen on his face. She instantly started apologized to him. She had never thrown anything at another person in her life but he infuriated her. "I'm sorry Daryl...I didn't mean to...". Daryl interrupted her.

"You're sorry?". He bellowed.

"Shh, Daryl, be quiet". Beth pleaded. She was afraid walkers would hear him. She shouldn't have thrown the bag of chips at him.

Daryl was absolutely shocked that she had thrown the chips at him. It didn't hurt. It just pissed him off. He swore this girl was going to be the death of him yet. Little spit fire throwing something at him; she had guts, he'd give her that. He knew he was being an ass. He couldn't help himself though. He looked at her, gruffly speaking "You are acting like a spoiled brat". He silently turned around and reached for the bag of chips and another jar of peanut butter and handed them to her.

Beth was incensed. She ought to throw the jar of peanut butter at his head. Maybe then he would listen. Instead, she threw the items to the floor, screaming "screw you!" She turned on her heel, leaving her pack there, and headed back out of the room. That man made her see red. It was the Irish in her too, probably. But he was really acting like such a jack-ass. She didn't think she had been this mad since Maggie had come home from college that time and Beth found her birth control pack. She had been furious at Maggie then. They'd fought and made up immediately after. It was always like that with her and Maggie. Her breathing hitched just a bit, thinking on her sister's safety.

She walked back downstairs. She was almost positive they had closed the door behind them. She looked down at Daryl's father's body laying on the floor. She wondered how much walker blood she had on her shoes. The door was just barely cracked open. She knew that they had shut the door. She also knew that walkers couldn't open doors. That only left one other option. Someone had opened the door and it wasn't her or Daryl. She didn't have time to even turn around, before a hand was clamped over her mouth and the whole room went dark.

Daryl watched her storm off and felt a moment of regret for what he had said. Let her be pissed off at him, he thought. She really was acting like a little brat though. He vaguely wondered whether or not she got whippings regularly when she was little. He suddenly envisioned turning her across his knee and spanking her. Just the thought of it aroused him. God what was wrong with him?! He had never been one for fetishes. Didn't get into kinky shit. The only girls he ever slept with were the ones Merle brought around from time to time. Sure he'd banged girls in his day but that just wasn't what he was about. It made him feel cheap and dirty. He was always drunk when he did it and woke up with a hangover and praying to God he had used a condom. The world did not need any miniature versions of Daryl Dixon, he thought to himself. He finished loading the pack and stood up to leave the room. He heard a door shut downstairs. If Beth had gone outside without him, he swore he would turn her over his knee. Swearing under his breath, he descended the stairs. His father was laying on the floor and Beth's journal was lying by the door. Picking it up, he suddenly had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. He actually felt as if he had been punched in the gut. He wrenched open the door, seeing the trail of dust left behind by an old four door sedan. It had a distinct cross in the back window. Trying to ignore the fact that the blood felt like it had drained out of his head, he quickly loaded the SUV. He got in and re-wired the engine and took off in the direction of the dust cloud. Heart beating in his chest, he drove as fast as the car would carry him. He didn't think he had ever been so scared in his life. Who would have taken Beth? He had to get her back. He had to.

**AN:**

**Okay guys, now, don't kill me. I didn't even know that I was rewriting her kidnapping until it happened. I wasn't planning on going in that direction, but that's what happens sometimes when you get lost in your characters and their story. So it's going to get better. I promise. But not just yet. I am going to really explore the direction this story has taken and see where it goes. As always reviews are welcomed and encouraged. Enjoy lovelies, and until next time.**


	5. Chapter 5

Hi guys, you are so awesome. I have gained a lot of followers since I first started this story so I am hoping that means I am doing something right. I have mulled over what I want to do with Daryl and Beth having entered this immediate crisis situation. I think I know where I am going with it but we will see. Sometimes the story just writes itself. Let me know what you think, if you like it, if you hate it, what you think is going to happen next, etc. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Ciao!

Chapter 5

Daryl was following behind the car's dust trail just praying that they didn't turn onto a road where he could not conceal himself easily. He was staying far enough back that he didn't think they knew they were being followed. There were so many thoughts going through his head. What if he lost her? No, he could not allow himself to think in those terms. He felt like he might go out of his mind. To say he was worried was an understatement. He did not think he had ever been so scared in his whole life and that was saying something. His own safety was one thing, but Beth being in danger was about to send him over the edge of that cliff he teetered on constantly. He swore if whoever took Beth harmed one hair on her head he was going to kill them. It had to be a man. And it had to have been a struggle. Right? Beth never left her diary lying around. It must have fallen out of her back pocket. She was always writing in the damn thing. Every night when she could. He wondered what the hell she had that was so important she had to write it down. He wasn't illiterate. He could read and write. He even liked reading, although he'd die before he let anyone know that.

The car was stopping. Daryl pulled the SUV to the side of the road and killed the engine. The car was pulling up to an old abandoned church. There were no cars parked outside, save for one other car that was identical to the one he was following. Daryl got out, readied his bow and crept along the tall weeds on the side of the road. The SUV, he knew, was well hidden in the weeds where he had parked it. He crouched down as a tall man got out of the car and bent backwards as if stretching his back. Daryl had the sudden urge to run up behind him and snap his neck in two. The man opened the passenger side door and hoisted Beth over his shoulders. Daryl's heart dropped to his feet when he realized that Beth was unconscious. Please, dear God if you are up there, please just let her be asleep. He couldn't even bring himself to think of the alternative.

Creeping low to the ground he followed after the man. He entered the church from a side door. The church itself was an old clapboard house, paint long gone and some of the boards were coming off the side, revealing its skeletal structure beneath. Daryl found that there were some places he could see all the way into the building's main room. The man had taken Beth inside and laid her on a cot. There were not many people there. He counted two other men besides the kidnapper, no visible weapons. Good, no kids and no women. He would be rescuing Beth and getting the hell out of dodge, if he had his way about it. No other people besides this one man and his buddies did not sit well with Daryl. He wondered why they had taken Beth. He had some disturbing thoughts of them trying to force themselves on her. He seethed with anger. It was the only fuel he needed to motivate him to go get his Beth. He didn't even have time to think about what his brain meant by that, always referring to her as his. Like he had staked some claim on her.

Daryl crept to the door the man had entered and eased it open holding his crossbow at the ready. He walked in and growled, "Nobody move". The man who had taken Beth, Daryl was going to call him asshole number one, got up from where he had sat down besides Beth's hopefully sleeping form. "What are you doing with my wife?" The word felt foreign coming off his lips,but he knew that was probably the only way he was getting Beth back without a fight. Whatever these guys had planned was not good. They would not have knocked Beth out otherwise. "If you hurt her, I will kill you". He snarled. Assholes number 2 and 3 got up and came towards him. "Stop" said Daryl "unless you want this arrow right between your eyes. I don't know who you are and what you want and I don't care."

He was anxious to get over to Beth and see if she was okay. His hands just itched to pick her up in his arms and make it all okay. Asshole number one finally spoke, "we have many wives, she is to be the newest". What the hell was wrong with this guy, thought Daryl. The man continued, "this sweet innocent will be perfect to add to our flock. God has sent us a message. He has destroyed the world with monsters and we need to be fruitful and multiply to replenish his herd of sheep". He gestured with his arms open wide.

Jesus, this guy was crackers, thought Daryl! An ice cold dagger of fear had settled into the pit of his stomach. Religious freaks, just what they needed. He knew he needed to tread lightly. Daryl was never much of a religious man but he found himself praying now, please God let me get her away from here. "If you have many wives, where are they?", asked Daryl. Asshole number one gestured to a door at the back. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what was there. The guy motioned for him to follow him. Daryl wasn't falling for anything that easy. "All three of you get over there on the wall." Daryl pulled rope out of his pocket. "Now use this to tie each other up." He barked, handing asshole number three the rope. They just stood there and looked at him. "Do it now!" he bellowed.

The men took turns tying the other ones up. Daryl had to investigate the situation in that back room and then he was out of here with Beth. Asshole number one, who must fancy himself their leader, spoke again. "We will not harm you brother. Join our fold. God has told us to be ready." Daryl didn't even know what they thought they needed to get ready for. He He just knew these guys were crazy.

Daryl opened the door to the back room and the smell almost knocked him over. The room stank with rotting flesh and another smell he could not identify. There in front of him was a round table. Around it, there were three walkers tied to the chairs in sitting positions. Someone had dressed them to make them look like they were at a tea party. Had put dresses and wigs on them and everything. They all looked at him and hissed their throaty death growls, trying to get up from their chairs. God, these people were crazier than he thought. The whole scene was macabre and disturbing. He could not leave that room fast enough. He spun around and slammed the door back.

The men were leaning back against the wall watching him. "Did you see them, brother?" God has chosen them and us for his special mission." That was the second time the man had referred to Daryl as his brother.

Daryl spat, "I ain't your brother, asshole." He walked over to Beth and knelt down. He touched his hand to her forehead. Warm, but not hot. Her breathing seemed to be even. She just looked like she was sleeping. He shook her arm a bit, "Beth time to wake up, we gotta go". He gently nudged her and smoothed her hair back from her face. It looked like she had been crying in her sleep.

He turned to the men. "What the fuck did you do to her?" He yelled.

Their leader spoke "She was given a light sedative for the ride. Nothing serious, just a little muscle relaxer. Not to worry, she will wake up in a few hours, a refreshed bride for her new husbands."

Daryl swore loudly and crossed the room to the men. He looked down at asshole number one, "She better be alright or I will personally end you!" He kicked the guys boot. He didn't have time for vengeance right now. He was going to get Beth and get the hell out of here.

He walked back over to the cot and picked her up in his arms. She didn't even move. She was like a limp rag doll, similar to the doll he had found of Sophia's. Just the thought of the little girl made his breath catch in his throat. He hugged Beth closer to him and forced those thoughts away. Leaving the building, he carried Beth back to the SUV. He hoped they didn't encounter any walkers. He was in a vulnerable position having to carry Beth. If they came across a walker, he didn't know what he would do. It was taking all his strength to carry her. She was light, but in her unconscious form it was like carrying a huge sack of flour, awkward.

He opened the passenger door and placed her inside. He quickly went around to the other side and got in, placing his bow in the backseat and locking the doors. First things first; he had to get them as far away from this place as he could. He went back out the way he came. He wasn't sure where this dirt road led but he was pretty certain it wasn't the way they needed to go. Last thing he needed was a dead end road. He looked over at her sleeping form. She looked peaceful. He could feel the tension slowly draining from his neck and shoulders. He drove for probably an hour before he saw anything that might resemble someplace they could stay for the night. Dusk was quickly approaching. The sun had already set, he noted, and it would be dark in no time.

He spotted a building up ahead beyond the treeline beside the road. It looked like an old fire station. Could be useful. The fire trucks were parked out front and one parked in the open bay of the two door garage. Daryl pulled the SUV into the other empty side of the garage. He got out and surveyed the area. No walkers around. A straggler or two in the distance, but he wouldn't worry about that just yet. He closed down the garage door, secured it and went inside the station. It was completely looted. There didn't appear to be much left. He could explore further tomorrow. For now, he just wanted to make sure it was free of walkers. They could stay in the SUV until Beth woke up. Then maybe once she woke up, they could go inside and see what else they could find. He climbed back in the SUV and moved both his and Beth's seats back. Her hair was falling over her face, so he smoothed it back with his hand. God, her hair was so soft. He had an overwhelming urge to smell it. What the hell was wrong with him? He was behaving like some lovesick teenager.

He reached into his jacket pocket. It was an automatic response, reaching for his cigarettes. Old habits died hard he guessed. He had smoked for years but since all this started he had pretty much quit. Cigarettes were hard to find these days.

Instead, his hand fell onto the diary in his pocket. Beth's diary. Should he read it, thought Daryl. Nah, that was an invasion of someone's privacy. He put the book down on Beth's lap. He stared at it for a long time. His fingers were itching to open it. What was it they said about curiosity and the cat? Well yeah, it was going to kill him too. There were so many times he had wondered what went on that pretty head of hers. Now he could actually find out. But it was wrong. He picked it back up off her lap and held it in his hands. It was small, bound in leather, brown, and worn. He wondered what she wrote in it. He knew girls kept diaries but he never understood why. What was so important that they had to write it down for all eternity?

Okay, just one peek wouldn't hurt, would it? He opened the diary and placed it on his lap. He glanced at Beth's sleeping form again. She would kill him if she knew he had her precious diary, probably, but he thought that she would never have to know. Finally feeling like he had justified it, he opened the book to the last entry and read.

Okay, guys, here is the next installment. Are you wondering what is in Beth's diary? Did she write about Daryl? Is Beth okay? What about the religious freaks? It's strange to think that just because there is a zombie apocalypse, it doesn't mean everyone is good. There are still rapists, murderers, serial killers and religious nuts. Please let me know what you think guys. I am not good at writing action scenes so this was a hard one to write. I am excited for the next installment so we can see if Daryl is really going to read her diary. And if Beth finds out, how will she react? The only way I know to keep going is if you guys are liking what you read. Hope this chapter wasn't too slow. The story is getting ready to pick up and their relationship is about to take on a life of its own.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Daryl began reading, glancing furtively at Beth every few minutes to see that she was still sleeping.

Dear diary,

Daryl is so infuriating. He thinks I am a kid! Well I am not! If he knew half the things I thought when I look at him, he would never call me "short stuff" or "half pint" or "kid". That just killed me. Like he was supposed to be my guardian or something. I don't think of him that way. Plus, besides that, he has kissed me already. Well I might've spurred it on a bit. My face gets hot just thinking about kissing him. It was the most thrilling thing I have ever felt in my life. It was nothing like kissing Jimmy or Zach. Daryl was experienced and hot and had huge muscles that bulged. Sometimes I wanted to reach out and just run my hands up his arms, feeling the muscles as they flex under my fingertips. When he was kissing me, I swear I felt a heat rush through me like a fire deep inside. As long as his lips were on mine, I completely smoldered. I realized at that moment that I really wanted to make love with Daryl Dixon. I just want to feel his hands all over me. I am blushing as I write this and hope he doesn't notice what I am doing. I would die if he knew I was writing about him. Well looks like we are here. Whereever that is.

Daryl closed the small bound book and let out the breath that he had not realized he was holding. He wondered when she had found time to write but then he remembered on the car ride out of town, she was scribbling in that book. He realized that he was hard as a rock. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He laid the diary up on the dash and leaned his head back against the head-rest, thinking to himself. One line kept playing over and over in his head "I really wanted to make love with Daryl Dixon". She didn't say have sex, sleep with, or bone. She used the mature term for talking about sex. If Daryl was really honest with himself, he had never made love with a woman. Not in the sense of that phrase and what it meant. No, what he had done could only be classified as getting his rocks off or plain old screwin'. And if he thought about sleeping with Beth, which he had, especially in the last few days, he knew that being with her would be much more than screwin'. Thinking about her small firm breasts beneath his palms as he ground himself into her...realizing he was hard again, he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

He stared down at Beth. She was breathing deep and even. She just looked so peaceful, lying there. What a complicated girl she was, he thought. She surprised him more and more every day. Sure he thought of her as a kid when they first met at the farm, but now the Beth he had come to know had grown up, probably too fast, but grown up nonetheless. She was a woman, not a girl. He thought about how she had chucked that bag of potato chips at him and chuckled to himself. Lord, but that girl had sass. He smiled thinking about that fire in her eyes when she had told him "screw you". Whew, yeah that one had a temper. But then again, so did he when you really got him riled up. For the most part though, Daryl just watched people. He rarely smiled. He just made it his business to study people. So far, it had worked for him. Beth, however, didn't seem content to let him do that. Typical woman, always wanting a man to change.

He heard a whimper come from the seat next to him. He turned to find that Beth's eyelids were fluttering. She was getting restless. He smoothed her hair back from her forehead again. He got out a bottle of water just in case she really was waking up. She was gonna need to rehydrate after being drugged. He had no idea what the bastards had given her. She opened her eyes and at that moment, Daryl didn't think he had ever seen anything so beautiful in his entire life. It suddenly hit him, like a sledge hammer to his chest, everything that had just happened, her being kidnapped and drugged. Having to find her. Being so scared that he would never see her again. That walkers would get her or worse; that she would become one of them. He didn't think he could take that. He had watched Merle do the same thing and it nearly killed him. Thinking back over the last several hours, Daryl scooped her into his arms and pulled him to her.

She wound her arms around his neck and started crying. "Daryl, I woke up in the car. They must have given me chloroform in the house. When I woke up, they were talking about how I was going to be married. It was so awful", she sobbed. "Then when I starting screaming for you, they put a needle into my neck and the next thing I remember is seeing you here. Where are we?". She suddenly pulled back from him and looked around, puzzled at the environment.

Beth didn't know where they were. It looked like the inside of a garage but it was too big to be that. Daryl finally answered her "It's a fire station". Beth looked up at him. He was looking down at her with the most tender expression she had ever seen on his face. But it was as though that tender look belonged there. It was like the Daryl she thought she knew was replaced by a softer Daryl. She wished she had a camera to take a picture of how he was looking at her. She had a fleeting thought that every girl should be looked at like Daryl Dixon looked at her.

Daryl stroked Beth's hair and the back of her neck while she told him what happened. "Beth," he began, "I thought I had lost you forever. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found you." He let them both fill in the blank. The past few hours had been terrifying. They had been through so much. Sometimes he wondered how much more either of them could take. Like what would be the final thing that would make them just snap and give up, like so many others. But Daryl was a survivalist and he was going to survive. And Beth was going to make it too. He would protect her from everything or die trying.

He spoke again "we can't ever be separated again" he vowed. Beth just nodded at him at hugged him closer. He brought his chin down to rest on the top of her head. He loved how her head fit there completely, like the perfect puzzle piece.

He pulled back so he could look in her face, "Beth.." he breathed. He could not hold back another moment. They were wrapped in each other's arms and it still was not close enough. He needed to kiss her, envelope her, consume her with everything he was feeling. Daryl lowered his lips slowly to hers. He reached behind her head and pulled the band from her soft blond tresses. He threw the band to the floor and ran his fingers through her hair, just like he had longed to do for such a long time.

He pulled her gently to him ever closer. He deepened the kiss, his tongue probing her parted lips, seeking entrance. She opened her mouth and a small moan escaped her lips. He grew hard at that moan. God help him, he wanted her. He wanted to claim every single part of her. He trailed his lips over her soft, pale skin, spreading slow, sweet kisses over her jawline down to her collarbone. Beth had placed her hands on the back of his head, massaging lightly, then running her hands over his back. He looked up at her and she was watching him under heavy-lidded eyes. She looked so sexy looking at him like that.

Suddenly he had a thought. "Beth are you okay? I mean, err, you slept for a long time." God, it was like he couldn't even put two words together around her now.

Beth suddenly got his meaning, "Oh, Daryl, I feel fine." She reassured him.

Daryl came up to kiss her again, her lips eagerly awaiting his. He could swear as he lowered his head to hers that she sighed. Daryl had no idea how the hell he was ever going to reel back in how he felt now. He wasn't sure he wanted to. When she was in his arms and after almost losing her, all thoughts of propriety just fell away. He no longer cared. He just wanted her to be his. He had never felt this way about anyone before. The feeling was completely foreign to Daryl. He liked it and it scared the daylights out of him all at the same time. He just knew he wanted to keep her in his arms forever. He knew that he was kissing Beth Greene and he never wanted to stop.

**Okay guys, this chapter was very, very fun to write. I mean duh, it is a somewhat more serious chapter. Not just pecks and kisses. Like they are really getting intimate now. Daryl is really getting in touch with his feelings too. He has never done that before. It's new to him. I can't wait to explore this further. Don't worry, this scene is really not over yet. But my daughter writes fan-fic too and she is begging for the computer. hahaha How would it be for a mom and daughter to write fan fic together. They do it in the plain fiction world. Anywho. Thanks for reading. Thanks for being patient with me as I work out this relationship in my head and put it on paper. You guys are awesome! **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Beth was lost in Daryl's arms, she never wanted to leave them again. She had never been more terrified in her life. She thought kidnapping in the old world had been bad. But in this new world, where absolutely nothing was certain and law and order had fallen by the wayside, kidnapping could be the end of you. Hopes of finding someone again if you lost them were very slim. Dang near hopeless, she thought. Daryl had loosened her hair from her hair band and now he was running his fingers through it. No one had ever done that to her before. His lips on hers, his tongue warm and probing. She felt a rush of heat through her whole body and flow into a throb that seemed to pulsate at the apex of her thighs. She had never felt this way before. Daryl made her feel like a woman. She instinctively pressed her breasts into his chest. She wanted him to touch her there. If his hands in her hair felt this good, her hands on her breasts had to feel like heaven. She pressed even further into him and felt him respond.

Daryl swore if she kept wiggling around, he was going to lose it. She was so damn sexy. And the way she looked at him with her eyes smoldering like they could burn him alive. He was so hard and as they kissed Daryl felt her move herself flush against his chest. He moved his hand to her breast and massaged gently, eliciting a soft moan from her lips. He wanted to make her come. He wanted to taste every inch of her body and when he reached her nice wet slit, he wanted to taste her there and he just knew she would be the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted. He moved his hand down further over her stomach down to the hem of her shirt. He moved his bare hand up under her shirt, taking her nipple between his fingers. He longed to replace his fingers with his tongue. He needed to feel her heat beneath his lips. He looked up at her. She reached down and began to unbutton her shirt. She let the shirt shrug from her shoulders and it revealed creamy white porcelain skin, which he'd seen her shoulders before. He let his eyes travel down over her neck and down to her breasts, two soft firm mounds. He slowly lowered his head to her breast and took her nipple between his lips, sucking lightly. He heard the sharp intake of her breath and he smiled to himself just a little.

When Daryl had put his hand up under her shirt and move up over her stomach and resting on her breasts, she held her breath. She felt an urge to raise her hips. She needed something. It was a deep, aching, burning, pulsating need, like nothing she had ever known. She reached down and began to unbutton her shirt, all the while thinking in wonder of what she was actually doing and who she was doing it with. It seemed surreal and so right all at the same time. She was making out with Daryl Dixon. And she wanted more. When he lowered his mouth to her breast and began sucking, she gasped in sheer pleasure. She placed her hand on top of his head and ran her fingers lightly through his thick chestnut strands. She loved his hair, it gave him a rugged look, but she swore if she got the chance, she was going to cut it for him. She thought all this as Daryl moved his lips lower and lower. He sat back and looked at her.

"Listen princess," he whispered. "We don't have to go any further than this if ya don't want. He looked into her eyes.

"No, Daryl I'm fine. I really am. Please". She said, a little out of breath.

"Then let's go to the back of the truck here. This console is digging into my sides. " Daryl rubbed at his ribs. He was willing to put up with the pain if he had to, but he knew the back of the SUV would be more comfortable. Besides that, Beth deserved better than some front seat escapade. Sure they'd still be in a car but at least there was a soft pallet back there to lay on. It wasn't a bed, but it'd have to do. Daryl was trying his damn hardest to keep from thinking about how far he wanted this to go. How far it should go. He really wasn't sure he was ready to answer that question. He wasn't sure Beth was either.

Beth smiled softly at him and got up to crawl through to the back of the SUV, where it was still a little cramped but at least better than the front seat. They both got situated back there and sitting there with his back to the back of the passenger seat and hers to the back of the driver's seat, they turned to face each other. Beth spoke first.

"Daryl, I was so scared. I didn't think I would ever see you again." She tried so hard, but the tears crept back into her eyes and her voice hitched just a bit. She wiped at them hurriedly and began again "I don't ever want to feel that way again. We haven't even really been able to look for anyone yet. We're just survivin' out here. For once, I want to do something besides just survivin'. Don't you think it'd be better that way?"

Daryl looked at this beautiful person next to him and watched her speak with such conviction in her voice. She was heart-breakingly beautiful. "I dunno Beth. I'm not good with feelings. I know how to survive but I don't know if I know anymore how to just…just be." He reached down for her hand, their fingers entwining together. Her hands were soft and her fingers so delicate and gracefully long. He didn't know how much longer he could keep his hands off her. She spurned a feeling in him that resonated into his very being. He didn't know how to put it into words. He just knew that he needed to be with her.

When Daryl took her hand, Beth thought she might melt. Here this big strong man, Daryl Dixon was opening up to her. She took his hand and bravely placed it over her breast and holding it in place. She moved closer to him and tilted her face up towards his, her lips seeking his and his meeting hers with fervor.

He laid her gently down and pushed her blouse from her shoulders, exposing those soft mounds to him, each nipple a rosy pink. He ran his hands down over her stomach and played at the band around her pants. She arched her back and moved her hips up to meet his hand. He groaned inward. Christ, this girl was going to be his undoing, he swore. He wanted to take her then and now, but he knew she was not experienced. He was pretty sure she was still a virgin. No he was going to have to take his time with her, he thought. She reached between them and unbuttoned and unzipped her pants. She wiggled her butt slightly and shimmied her pants down and kicked them aside.

She looked at him shyly. "Daryl, I've never…". She began, but he put his finger over her lips. "Relax princess, we don't have to go any farther than you say. If you say stop, we stop. Deal?" She nodded at him mutely. She loved the way he was looking at her. It was like he was looking straight into her. She felt that heat traveling down her body and coming into that now familiar pulse at the apex of her thighs.

Daryl looked down at her and felt himself harden even further. She looked so damn beautiful lying there beside him, her blouse open revealing her firm, round breasts and her pink panties. He let his fingers trail down over her stomach and slid his hand softly into her panties, finding her slit. He slid a finger inside her warm, wet lips and slid it inside her. She was so damn wet he got even harder. He slid his finger in and out, exploring with his fingers where his tongue longed to be. She was so tight. He imagined how he would feel sheathed inside her. He pulled his finger back and found the little hard nub of pleasure and began to rub. He could feel her body stiffen up and her body molding to his. He groaned as she moved her hands expertly over his body. He stiffened when she moved her hand down to the bulge in his pants. He gently moved her hand away, "Nah, sweetheart, this one is all about you".

Beth thought she was going to die when Daryl put his hand down her pants and slid his fingers inside her. She never knew anything could feel this good and she never wanted him to stop. He was moving his fingers in and out and she moved her hips up to meet his hand. He removed his fingers from her and she whimpered a little. When he began massaging her, her breathing hitched and she felt a warmth spread over her. It was a hot rushing feeling, an aching pulsating wave of pleasure going over her and sending little shocks of pleasure over her, again and again and then it settled into her very inner core and then felt like it was just pulsating over and over again and she cried out as the pleasure washed over her. "Daryl," she breathed.

He felt the exact moment when she came. Her head was thrown back and her eyes were closed. She had given herself over to every feeling and watching her, he felt like he was going to blow his load right in his pants like a damn kid. He was almost painfully hard listening to her moan and cry out his name. It was the damned sexiest thing he had ever heard.

Beth laid back a little and rested her head on her arm looking up at Daryl . She smiled at him and could not believe how good she felt. That was the most wonderful experience of her life. "Well so that's what everyone has been going on about. I get it now". She laughed a little.

Daryl looked over at her, that cute smile on her face. He chuckled softly. "You been missing out, huh?" He looked at her stifling a yawn.

She flushed "I'm sorry, you'd think all that time I spent knocked out would be enough sleep for one person." She apologized.

"It's fine Beth, you probably need to sleep. We've both had a pretty rough day. We should probably try to get a little sleep so we can scout out at first light". She rearranged her clothing. He got a blanket to cover them up. He laid back and pulled her to him and she rested her head on his chest. He couldn't remember when he had ever felt this good about anything or anyone before. Even before the world had gone to hell.

"Daryl?," she whispered softly, her eyes already fluttering closed. "Yes?" he asked.

"Do you think we can do that again tomorrow?" At that, she fell asleep.

Daryl laughed to himself. He wondered if she had meant to say that out loud. Would they do it again? Daryl knew he should restrain himself, but God help him, he just couldn't do it. He had almost lost her. He knew that was something he would never be prepared for, walkers or not. He pulled her a little closer and vowed to keep her safe. He didn't care what it took. He was not losing her.

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews. I am read each and every one. I am worked really hard on this chapter. I rewrote it a couple of times trying to get it just right. Its my head-canon and it has to be perfect. Haha Please, please please keep the reviews coming and I will keep the chapters coming. Your reviews are what lets me know I need to continue. What's going to happen next? Well I think Daryl is going to fess up about reading her diary and she is going to be mad! So the next chapter might be a little intense. I also think that Daryl is going to have a hard time with what he is feeling for her. He has never felt this way before. She's gotten in his head. He can't think about anything but her. He's going to have to come to terms with his feelings before he is going to be comfortable with expressing them. So be patient my dears. I promise it will be worth the wait. Oh and hint, hint, I am already working on chapter 8. ;) Until next time, muahhhh! Ciao!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Daryl was not sure when he had fallen asleep but he awoke with a tiny bit of light filtering through the top window high at the ceiling of the garage. It must be dawn. Beth shifted beside him and it came back to him how they had been making out the night before. He looked over at her. Her hair, having been left down, was fanned out over the makeshift pillow they had made with a folded up blanket. Damn, but she was beautiful.

His mind was racing. He knew he probably shouldn't have done what he did last night but he was powerless to stop himself. It was like he was driven by some inner force and a primal instinct to protect her, claim her. She was the one bright spot in his otherwise very dark world. He had never been with anyone who made him feel the way she did. When he was with Beth and she looked at him with those beautiful eyes, seemingly endless pools of cerulean blue, all logic went out the window. She made him want to be a better person, a better man. And the thing that scared him the most was that he wasn't enough for her. He wasn't used to women like her. She was so sure of herself. Well emotionally at least. Her confidence in her physical strength was getting better. He had been teaching her at the prison how to track and shoot. She was improving but still had a long way to go.

She started to stir beside him. He sat up and put his vest back on over his shirt. He had gotten used to sleeping in his clothes. They never knew when they would need to run. The blanket had slid off Beth's legs at the knees, exposing them to the soft grey light of morning. He swore she had the longest legs and the most beautiful milky white skin. He wondered how her legs would feel wrapped around him. He forced those thoughts from his head. If he started down that thought train, they would never get anything done today. They needed to eat. He rustled around in the pack and found the peanut butter and jelly in the bottom of the bag. He got out a bag of chips too. Two bottles of water and they were all set for breakfast.

He reached over and nudged her arm gently to wake her up. "Time to rise and shine kid", he stated. He opened the bag of chips and started munching away. They had never gotten around to eating last night.

Beth opened her eyes and stretched. She yawned and sat up and then blushed realizing that she was only wearing her shirt and panties. All of last night came flooding back to her. She looked at him warily, wondering what he was thinking this morning. He had just called her "kid" again. She hated that. It was like fingernails down a blackboard to her. She looked at him, "I'm not a kid, Daryl." She admonished him.

He stopped eating long enough to look at her and just grunted his response which was little more than a growl. He knew it got a rise out of her when he used those pet names on her but he couldn't help himself. He reached up into the front seat and got her diary for her. He handed the small leather book to her. "Here you dropped this at the house".

Her face looked puzzled at first and then she blushed, taking it from him. "You didn't read it did you?" She asked jokingly. She would absolutely die if he had read what she wrote. She had written some things about him before and then she had written about that kiss. She was trying to remember what she said. She flipped it open to the latest entry and glanced over the passage. Her face got even redder.

Daryl stammered "Uh….no. 'Course not." He tried to look non-committal but he wasn't sure she was falling for it.

She looked at him and his eyes shifted. He would not meet her gaze. "You did, didn't you?" she said incredulously, her voice climbing an octave.

Daryl was embarrassed now. He knew he shouldn't have read it. And he had never planned on telling her, but he couldn't lie to her either. Somehow he knew she could see right through him and damn she looked pissed. He just nodded his head once, looking down in regret. "Sorry. " There really was not much else to say. It wasn't like he had a plausible excuse for reading her diary. Somehow he didn't think she would come around to seeing how he justified it; that he had to know what went on in that head of hers. Thinking now in the clear light of day, it was a lame excuse.

Beth was fuming. How dare he? "That was private!" she yelled. "You had no right to read my diary". She was still blushing. "What part did you read?" She was silently praying, please don't let it be…. She didn't get to finish the thought.

He shrugged his shoulders and said nonchalantly "the last one, I guess".

"You guess", she repeated angrily. She furiously got her pants and pulled them on. She couldn't very well have this argument in her shirt and panties. "That means…" Oh God, she thought she might die. He had read everything she thought about him and how she wanted to have sex with him. She stubbornly jutted out her chin and looked at him, eyes blazing. "Well I wrote that before I knew what a jack-ass you were!" She got up and went back to the front seat and sat in the passenger side. She wished she could get away. They were in close quarters, not much room to move and really nowhere to go. "Just stay out of my stuff Daryl" She barked at him.

"Fine" He replied angrily. She had called him a jackass. He guessed that was a pretty jackass move to read her diary but he had saved her life yesterday. "It ain't the end of the world ya know. So I read your diary. Boo-hoo. We got a lot more things to worry about besides who's reading your diary, little girl."

"And that's another thing. My name is not girl, little girl, kid, half pint or any of those other stupid names you call me! My name is Beth. You can call me that or nothing at all". She fired out.

"How's about I don't talk to you at all then" he spit out. He knew he was being ridiculous and childish, but she brought out things in him he didn't even know he felt.

"Fine," she said and crossed her arms over her chest. She was pulling her hair back into that damned ponytail. Where she found all those hair bands, he would never know. She seemed to have an endless supply. Girls, he thought. He would never understand them.

After they ate a bit, they both got out of the SUV and went to explore the rest of the station. They found a bathroom and it would do to take care of things. They each took a turn using the bathroom, relishing the fact that they were getting to use the bathroom indoors. In the past couple days, they had been going wherever they could find. God, he missed running water sometimes. What he wouldn't give for a shower.

Beth walked around the abandoned fire station looking for anything they might be able to use on the road. She found a first aid kit that was sparse on supplies but it was better than nothing. A few other odds and ends left them with a couple of flashlights, a few cans of beans, and they both were able to find some new shoes. Their other shoes were getting worn pretty quick with all the walking and running they had done the past couple days. Beth's didn't fit exactly how they should but they would do.

Daryl went around to the door. The problem with being inside the fire station was that you couldn't really see out. The only windows were high off the ground. Which was better because that meant walkers couldn't get in them. They were mean, but they were stupid and they didn't know how to climb. One of the few advantages, he thought. He eased the door open to scout out the area. He couldn't go opening the door for the SUV if he didn't know what was out there. He saw a few walkers wandering around and they turned to look at him as he creaked open the door. They growled and snarled and started heading in his direction. Their growls must have sent out some kind of walker alert because at their call, there were about ten more walkers that came around the side of the building and they were headed for the door. He slammed it back shut and prayed they couldn't get it open. It locked on the inside but it wasn't a very sturdy lock. The doorknob jiggled and Daryl held his breath. He motioned for Beth to go back to the SUV. She wordlessly complied and he followed her back to the garage.

Beth heard the growls as soon as Daryl opened the door. She waited until they were in the truck to say anything. "How are we going to get out of here? Are we trapped?"

Daryl shook his head, "Nah, I don't think so." He started the SUV and the engine purred to life. They had about a half tank of gas. They would have to find more before the morning was out. He got out quickly and walked around to the front of the garage and pulled the door up carefully. It was stuck. He used both hands and pulled up on it and it would not budge. He swore softly under his breath. Could they ever catch a break, he thought? He gave up and got back in the vehicle. He fastened his seat belt.

"Buckle up," he stated. "We're gonna have to bust our way out of here". She quickly complied. He put the vehicle in reverse and stomped the gas pedal. There was screeching metal on metal, catapulting the SUV out of the garage and ripping the door from its tracks. The door was still on top of the SUV. Daryl swung the car around to put it in drive. When he did so, the door flew forward onto the pavement. Daryl drove around it, walkers clamoring all around the vehicle. He ran over two on the way out, a thud under each tire as they bumped along over the parking lot and into the street. The walkers were still coming after them, but fortunately they were no match for the speed of the SUV.

He looked over at Beth. "You okay?" He asked her. She just nodded and took a sip of her water. They were used to this sort of thing. Dodging walkers, killing them, running over them, hiding from them. It had become a way of life. She wasn't sure what her old life felt like anymore. She suddenly missed the farm. Missed her Dad. Missed Maggie. "Daryl, do you think anybody else made it 'sides us?" She looked over at him with those big blue eyes and wanted to make everything right in her world again. She needed that. She deserved that. "I hope so princess, err I mean Beth. I hope so". That won him a small smile from her.

Daryl looked at her, his dark eyes piercing her blue ones. Beth loved how he was looking at her. And he called her princess. He had called her that last night too, she remembered, blushing at the memory. That was one pet name she didn't mind. She noticed how he changed it to Beth at the last second. She suddenly felt guilty for yelling at him. He made her madder than any human being she had ever met but she couldn't stay mad at him and she wasn't sure why. He had her feeling so many things that she didn't know what she felt anymore.

They drove in companionable silence for awhile. Where they were going, she didn't know. They had been looking for more signs of their group but so far had found nothing since the trail went cold. They drove through the countryside. It was an overcast day, no sign of the sun peeking through anywhere. After driving for 45 minutes, they came to some train tracks and Daryl slowed the vehicle to a stop. There was a sign before the tracks that said "Sanctuary Station". It had a map with an "x" circled where Sanctuary Station was supposed to be. It also showed where they were. The sign simply said "Follow the tracks North". They got out of the vehicle and went to the sign. There was writing all over the sides of it. Messages from other people, she guessed.

"Dad, went to Sanctuary Station, Laura."

"George, go to Sanctuary, Betty and kids."

Messages were scrawled out everywhere, snaking around the sign and map. People trying to find others like them. Maybe their group was headed there too. Maybe they were already there. She looked hopefully at Daryl. "Daryl should we go?" She felt a spark of hope she hadn't felt in days. "Maybe Maggie, Rick, and everyone went there."

Daryl put his hand up to trace the map, trying to figure out which way they needed to go. It looked like they had to follow the train tracks to get to this Sanctuary place. He paced back and forth in front of the map, thinking quickly. "We can try it. Couldn't hurt. We'll have to be careful though." Thoughts of Woodbury floated through his mind. That place looked like a sanctuary from the outside but Daryl knew better. What looked like an idyllic community in the midst of the end of the world turned out to be the prison of a madman. He hoped that bastard rotted in hell.

He turned to look at Beth. She was looking at him so hopefully. She reached over and took his hand tentatively. She entwined her fingers in his, gripping them gently. He thought for a moment that it was not unlike how his heart felt. It was entwined in something. He just didn't know what to call it. But it gripped him hard and pulled at a place inside him that he never knew existed.

Beth looked down at their hands and back up at Daryl. She realized with a certainty that she was falling in love with this man. This incredibly strong but gentle, complex man. Yes she knew it and she wasn't sure exactly when it had happened. She was in love with Daryl Dixon. And she didn't know if her heart could handle it or not.

**AN: Thanks for the reviews everyone. That last chapter was rather steamy wasn't it. It's only going to get better too (wicked grin). Beth has never been in love either, just like Daryl. We kind of know how Daryl handles things for the most part. But Beth is going through a change herself. Its going to be interesting to see how this story plays out. It's so great how sometimes I am writing this and all the sudden an idea will hit me and it just comes to life. Sometimes I am as surprised as you guys with the plot. Until next time and keep those reviews coming. I read them ALL! Ciao, my lovelies. **


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Beth looked up at Daryl, surprise etched on her features at this sudden realization. She knew she loved him. She didn't know exactly when their platonic friendship ended and their passion ended. The line was blurred between who they were and who they are now. In some ways, she could not remember a time that she did not love this man. Her Daryl. She smiled softly at him and he looked down at her.

"Okay," Daryl began, "the way I see it, we're gonna have to make a choice. We can go the long way and risk blocked roads to get to this place. Or we can load up as much as we can carry and follow these tracks, see where it goes."

"What about walkers?", Beth worried her lip between her teeth. She did not relish the thought of going on foot again. It left her feeling so exposed and just waiting for the next bad thing to happen.

"If we continue on the road, we are going to have to find some gas. I ain't sure if we'd even be able to do that. What do you think?" he asked her.

Beth looked at Daryl with her mouth hanging open. "Me?" she asked. Nobody ever asked her opinion. She was never privy to the groups plans. She just did as she was told and followed where they led.

"Well yeah, you. You see anybody else out here. Walkers don't count." He laughed.

Beth looked at Daryl laughing. It was soft and gruff and the corners of his mouth turned up just automatically made his dark blue eyes turn just a hint of a shade lighter and the corners of his eyes crinkled just ever so slightly. She knew Daryl was 38 but he had the beginnings of what her mama had called crows' feet. She thought it was charming. "Well I think we should do whatever is safest." Beth stated pragmatically. She pulled lightly on his hand that she was still gripping. "You know what we should do, right?" She teased.

"A'ight then, I guess the safest thing is to load up all our stuff and hoof it down the tracks. Might be that this isn't the only sign like this. If the others found one, they would go there looking for us I think."

Beth agreed that was the best lead they had had since the trail went cold in the rain and mud that night. He gave her hand a light tug and pulled her in the direction of the truck. "Come'on, let's go get this stuff together. We got a lot of daylight left to cover."

They worked together over the next twenty minutes, downsizing what they could and making fit what they could not be without. They packed everything into two large packs they could each carry. He had his crossbow, she had her knife and they each had a pistol. He reckoned they were as ready as they would ever be. They were sure as hell better off than when they had left the prison. That was like having to start over from scratch since the beginning of the end. He didn't think it could be any suckier than that. Nah, they'd count their blessings that they had as much as they did. He hoped the rest of the group had been as lucky as him. If they'd made it, a small voice in the back of his head reminded him.

Beth was dreading the walk already. She didn't know what those guys had put in her neck but she still felt groggy even today. She guessed it would take some time to wear off. It didn't help that today seemed to be especially hot. It was getting on noon, she supposed and it felt like 90 degrees.

Satisfied that they had gotten every essential thing they could possibly carry, Daryl moved the SUV into the woods and covered it over with branches and limbs as best he could. If the tracks turned out to be a road to nowhere, then maybe they could come back here and get it. He joined Beth on the tracks and they began walking north along the tracks. Most places the track had a small path running alongside it. She guessed for the rail-workers to use from time to time. They followed the path when they could. When the path narrowed down into a gulley with the tracks, they walked on the tracks as carefully as they could. Every few minutes, Beth took the tiniest sip of her water. She was trying to ration it. They didn't know when they'd find fresh water again. Lord, but it was hot out here. She fanned at herself absently as they ambled down the tracks.

Daryl was leading the way, his hunter's knife in easy reach and his bow strapped across his back. So far, they had only had to take out three walkers, just stragglers. They had been walking almost three hours, when he noticed that Beth seemed to be dragging behind. "You okay back there" He said, glancing over his shoulder at her. He looked back just in time to see her legs give way and crumple to the ground, landing at an awkward angle on the tracks. Coming upon her, he cradled her head in his lap. She had scared the shit out of him. "Woman you gotta stop scaring me like this" He propped her head up a little to give her some water.

Beth had no idea what happened. One minute she had been walking along and the next she felt dizzy. It seemed only seconds had passed when she opened her eyes to see that her head was in Daryl's lap. She tried to sit up but the world just spun around again. She groaned in misery.

"Be still." He swore that this girl was gonna be the death of him. He fanned her with his bandanda and gave her some more water. He supported her as she sat up a little further.

"I should have drank more", she admonished herself. "Truth is, I haven't felt well all day. Still feel a little tired from yesterday" she admitted.

Daryl bit back a curse. How could he be so stupid. Of course! The girl had been drugged and kidnapped only 24 hours before and here he was dragging her all over the back woods of Georgia. "I'm sorry Beth, I shoulda realized." He began.

She dismissed his apology with a quick shake of her head. "It's not your fault". Beth tried to disentangle her foot from the track. It was hurting something awful. When she pulled upwards, a sharp pain shot through her ankle up her leg and she cried out.

Daryl knew as soon as he looked at her ankle that they were screwed. It had swollen up and was turning a reddish-purple color. There was no doubt it was sprained. He swore softly and looked upward at the sky. Lately he wondered if there was anyone up there anymore. Daryl had never considered himself a religious man but he did talk to God on occasion.

He helped Beth to her feet so she could test the waters, so to speak. It was clear in an instant that she was not going to be able to walk on it. She winced when she stepped down. "It'll be okay Daryl. I'll just walk it off."

He chuckled to himself. That's something Merle used to tell him all the time. "Don't be a pussy, baby brother, walk it off". He told Beth as much and that elicited a small smile from her pained expression. Daryl got the feeling that she was hurting more than she was letting on. He picked his bow back up and arranged it so she could lean on him for support. They continued this way for several painful steps and stopped, both of them out of breath. He rearranged his bow again, settling it in front of him and bent over just slightly. "Get on" he spoke gruffly.

Beth stood there and looked at him like he was crazy. "Have you lost your mind?" She laughed.

"Oh yeah, a long time ago. Now get on. Gonna give you an old fashioned piggyback ride". She jumped up with her good leg and grabbed Daryl around the neck and moved her arms around to join in front of him. She rested her chin on his shoulder, feeling the heat of his leather vest heating her already reddened face.

Beth wondered how long he could carry her piggyback like this. She didn't think she had had a piggyback ride since she was a little girl. She could hear Daryl's breathing this close to him. She knew she was pressed into him in a pretty intimate way. Just when did a piggyback become about sex, she wondered,amused. She must have giggled out loud.

"What's so funny," Daryl wanted to know.

Beth blushed thinking on how she was going to tell Daryl that her mind had just turned a piggyback ride into an erotic fantasy. Nope that conversation was not going to happen.

They continued on this track for at least thirty minutes. The silence hung between them and the unspoken worry was palpable in the air. At any moment they could run into walkers, or even worse be overrun by a herd like they had at the farm. Sometimes they you could hear them coming because of their death growls. But then there were other times it was as if they snuck up on you. Beth wondered silently if that was because they were growing used to the snarls and growls that came from the walkers. She hoped it was never something that they became used to or expected. Beth shuddered at the thought and had to wiggle herself back up. She wound her arms a little tighter around Daryl's neck while trying to lean back a little so she didn't place too much weight on him.

Daryl felt her wiggling around back there pressing herself up against him even further, one thigh on either of his hips, gripping them tightly. He found himself wondering what it would feel like if she was facing him and he felt those legs wrapped around his hips. He felt himself go hard at that. He shifted his thoughts to something, any safer train of thought. He wondered how much longer their luck could hold out. With Beth's ankle hurt and him having to carry her, he knew they were sitting ducks.

Daryl heard a crackle in the woods off to the right. He reached for his knife instinctively. He braced himself for the worst. He looked ahead to see a squirrel. It scampered on off into the woods and up over a log that had fallen. It was upon tracing the log that he saw it. About 200 yards up to the right, he saw a cabin. He began heading in that direction.

Beth looked ahead at the cabin. It wasn't much to look at it. It was all boarded up and overgrown with weeds. In fact, a sapling was trying to come through the side of the front porch. It looked like someone had long since abandoned the place. The boards were concerning though. That was something they had grown accustomed to seeing on their scouting missions. Houses boarded up with whatever they could find. Some last ditch effort to save themselves from a world where the dead had risen and for the moment they were winning the war.

Daryl deposited Beth on the porch and told her to stay put. He hated to leave her there but he had to make sure it was clear before they went inside. He knew it was risky, but he could make a sweep much quicker if she was sitting on the porch rather than hanging onto his back. Besides that, it would give him a minute to push down all the thoughts of arousal he was having.

She propped her ankle up on the porch and wiggled it back and forth. It hurt a lot more than what she was willing to admit to Daryl. She didn't want him to think she was weak. Beth remembered her daddy coming home after a long day working the farm and tending to the animals he served as a veterinarian. He would get a drink of whiskey and say "My bones hurt. A man deserves a drink after a long day of work". For the first time in Beth Greene's life, she wished for a drink of whiskey or anything that might dam the pulsating flow of pain sending shocks from her ankle up to her knee.

Daryl came back and gave the all clear sign, a small rotation of his hand in the air. He helped Beth stand up to get them both inside. He took down the necessary boards so they could gain entrance. Upon entering the room, it smelled of cedar, dust and an underlying odor that had come to permeate almost every enclosed space they encountered; the smell of rotting flesh that was the perfume of the walkers. That meant that there had to be at least one somewhere close. Daryl went to seek it out and clear the rest of the house after settling Beth on the sofa.

Beth looked around the sparsely furnished room. There was the sofa, a bed in the far left corner. In the front of the room on the right, there was a small wood stove and an even smaller sink. It would do, thought Beth.

Daryl came back in the room. He'd had to take down two walkers in the basement. He guessed the poor bastards had locked themselves in not realizing when they gave up and died that they would turn anyways. That's the way it was. You either became walker meat or you became one of them. He absently wiped his knife on the back of his pants. He had long since stopped caring how much walker blood was on him. It just seemed insignificant when you were trying like hell to survive.

He sat down next to Beth and propped her foot up on his lap. She winced in obvious pain. He wasn't a doctor but he knew his way around broken bones and sprains. God knew he'd had enough of them in his lifetime. "It don't look broken. It's probably just sprained. We're gonna have to stay here a couple days and you're gonna have to stay off it." He rested his hand on her knee, noting the stark contrast of his ruddy dark skin against her fairer, milky complexion.

Beth got a sudden mischevious twinkle in her eye which turned up the corners of her mouth in the tiniest of smiles. "Well that means you're going to have to wait on me hand and foot, doesn't it Mr. Dixon", she teased.

Daryl tried to hide his smile and raked his hand over his face. Several days in a locked away from the world outside. Locked _inside_ with Beth Greene. Yeah, he was in big trouble.

**AN: Hey everyone, here it is. I finished this about an hour ago and then accidentally deleted half the chapter. Grrr, I hope I didn't forget anything. You guys are being so great in your reviews. Thank you so much. You all are way too kind. Alas though I posted two chapters in the last 24 hours because I have to work tomorrow night. It's sad, I must return to the "real world". I work 12 hours as a nurse so when my sleep addled brain decides to return, I will write another chapter but it will likely be Friday 03/21 before it's posted, so be patient my dears. As always, review review (wink wink) to let me know how I am doing. Until next time my dears. Ciao! **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

They had been in the cabin for half a day now and Beth was starting to wish they were back out there killing walkers. Daryl had been in a terrible mood the past several hours. He had been short with her every time she asked him a question or asked him for anything. She had gotten sick and tired of him snapping at her and she finally jutted her chin out and rotated herself off the sofa and made as if to stand up. She swore she had never seen anyone move as fast as he did at that moment. He was upon her in an instant, his brow furrowed and his lips set in a thin line. She swore if looks could kill, and broke her thought mid-sentence. He had placed his hand upon her wrist and gripped it firmly but not enough to hurt. But in doing so, Beth looked up at him defiantly. She was not going to let him bully her.

"You need to stay put, I said. Damn women never listen to anything." He scoffed.

Beth was fuming, so much so that she put up both hands and shoved at his chest with all the strength she could muster. He didn't move a muscle unfortunately. Fine, she thought, what she had lacked in physical strength she more than made up for in intelligence. "Why don't you just go take out your frustrations on someone else?" she yelled. "I am not your punching bag. You can't be a jackass to me just because you're pissed off at the whole world. We're all each other's got now, whether you like it or not. So, what's it going to be Dixon? Are you going to start treating me like it matters that we survived together? Or are we going to part ways?" At that, her voice broke and she felt her eyes stinging as they filled up with angry, hot tears. Beth realized that she could no longer imagine her life without Daryl in it.

"You don't get it do ya, girl!" Daryl yelled. "It _don't_ matter. So we made it out alive. Big deal! Next time we get comfortable somewhere, something is gonna come along and rip out of our hands again." His face was inches from hers. He reached up to his chest and gripped both of her hands. He intended to gently push her away. He needed to get away, to breathe. But when he looked down at her with those tears streaming down her face, he made the mistake of connecting with her eyes. And then he was dumbstruck.

Beth gazed up at Daryl her face wet from crying. She looked into his eyes and saw the spark and fire there and she thought she might spontaneously ignite from the burning need there. He was gripping her wrists as her hands were pushed up against his chest. Instead of shoving him away again, she felt herself pulling him closer with his shirt, wrapping her fingers in the fabric. She lifted herself up on tiptoe, awkwardly with her injury, and with all the breath nearly rushing out, she pressed her lips to his. She took a page out of the Daryl Dixon handbook and tentatively touched her tongue to the seam of his lips to tease his mouth open.

Daryl opened his mouth and groaned. He loved the way her tongue was making circles around his. He had never really placed too much emphasis on kissing, but kissing Beth was like breathing to him. He had to have her. As they deepened the kiss, they fell clumsily sideways onto the sofa.

Keeping her lips firmly planted on Daryl's Beth coaxed him into a sitting position and positioned one thigh on each side of his hips and nestled herself over his crotch. She could feel a hardness pressing into her. Knowing she had that effect on him was empowering. Face flushing, she instinctively ground her hips downward against him. She felt an ache deep within her that settled into a burning pulsating need that came to an arc between her thighs. She remembered him touching her there before and she arched her back.

Daryl moved his hands down over her back and settled them on her hips. When she began to grind against him, he pressed on her hips and whispered to her "Slow down there Princess or it's gonna be over before we even get started". He moved a hand up to place it behind her head, gently caressing her neck. He gently pushed her head to the side and trailed his lips down over her neck, gently sucking here and there. He felt her sharp intake of breath as her soft round breasts pushed into him. Sweet Jesus, was she trying to kill him, he thought. He moved his hand between them and pressed his thumb into the place he knew he could get her to do what he wanted, he thought with a smile. He rotated his thumb firmly against her jeans and smiled again when he heard her moan.

Daryl stood up, firmly gripped Beth's hips as she wound her arms around his neck. He carried her over to the bed and gently laid her down and stretched out beside her. He looked down at her and felt a hitch in his chest. She was so goddamn beautiful, he ached inside. He suddenly wanted everything from her. Daryl had never needed anyone before. He didn't need anyone. But when faced with this angel beside him, he knew that he would never be able to get enough of her.

Beth looked up at Daryl hovering over her, their faces just inches away from one another. She looked into his eyes and she could see the burning need in them. She had never felt sexier in her whole life. Beth sometimes thought that Daryl's eyes said far more than his mouth ever would. "Daryl I didn't mean what I said. I don't want to be without you." She began.

He put his one finger over her lips in a silent protest. "Beth you gotta know that when you were gone, I was terrified. I didn't think I was gonna see you again. I know I been a jackass today." Daryl faltered. He wasn't much used to saying he was sorry, he realized.

Beth figured that was the closest thing to an apology she was going to get from Daryl Dixon. "What are we doing here Daryl? Where is this going? I have to know. I haven't exactly had the best of luck with guys here lately."

Daryl looked at her with a pained expression. What could he say? He had no clue what they were doing. He had no idea what was doing. "I ain't never known anybody like you, Beth", he tried to explain, his voice faltering. How could you explain a lifetime of solitude to someone like her? She had grown up on a farm for God's sake. "And I ain't good with feelings either," he stated. He moved his hand up to her face and brushed his thumb over her jawline. "I like how I feel when I am around you. And then I think that I got no business thinking that way. You deserve better than somebody like me".

Beth looked at him as he said that and she knew he really believed it. Beth looked at this impossible man beside her and wished she could see into that brain of his. She smiled softly at him, "Daryl Dixon, they just don't come any better than you. Even my Daddy saw that. He said it to me many a time. And I don't care if you don't _think_ you deserve me. So let me be the judge of who I want to be with. I choose you, Daryl", she said simply, turning her head into his hand and pressing a soft kiss to his palm.

Daryl looked down at this beautiful girl thinking that she was so wise in her ways for her age. He wanted to believe what she was telling him. She was so damn convincing and so darn cute when she set her brow in that hard line and told him like it was. She made him believe, not again, because he had never really believed in anything before. She made him believe in something for the first time in his whole life.

He laid her on her back, her long blonde tresses fanning out over the pillow behind her head, the golden blonde of her hair a sharp contrast to the deep burgundy of the pillowcase. He moved over her and propped himself up on either side, shifting his weight off of her. With a burning need he only felt with her, he swooped down to claim her mouth with his.

Beth became a little light-headed over the quick change in position. She looked up at this incredibly sexy man hovering over her and watched as his lips descended upon hers. She opened her mouth, receiving his tongue.

Beth's lips turned up just slightly up at the corners. She was going to wear him down, she knew it. Her daddy had always told her she was stubborn as a mule. When she set her mind to something she wanted, she made it hers. And Daryl Dixon was all hers.

**I know! I know! So cruel to leave it at this point huh? Sorry, PLEASE forgive me. It's getting late here and I have had literally about 4 hours of sleep in 48 hours and I have to two twelve hour shifts to pull this weekend. So many feels in this chapter, I know. I know it's short but it had a lot of emotion in it and I just had to get it right, the way I was seeing it happen in my head. I hope you all like it. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the reviews you have left. I am not sure if I will get to write this weekend. It depends on how grueling my day is, but if I get some reviews it might inspire another chapter or two. Be patient my dears, I promise what I am leading up to is going to be worth the wait. Also, there is going to be an interesting development at the cabin they are at. Thanks for reading. Til next time, muahhh and ciao! **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Daryl was trying to be careful to keep his weight off of Beth. He propped himself up on his arms on either side of her head on the pillow. She was so slight beneath him. She was thin and lithe, but not too skinny. She had shapely thighs, he knew that already from their night in the SUV. Her sexy legs joined perfectly at the apex and although he had not gotten to explore it yet, he had etched every detail into his memory. He realized that he wanted to claim every single inch of her, with his mouth and his fingers. He braced himself on one elbow and shifted off of her a little so one hand was free to roam. He reached up between them and ran his hand over her ass. God, it was tight and firm beneath his palms. He squeezed gently and heard her moan against his lips. "You've got on too many damn clothes" he said breathily.

He unbuttoned her jeans and unzipped them. He reached down to feel her, finding that hard nub and then without warning he plunged one finger inside her. She was so wet Daryl could feel himself getting harder. He loved that he could do that to her. He wanted to make her feel everything. He moved his finger back to her clit and rubbed it around and around in rapid tight circles, bringing her to the edge. She was arching her back. When her breathing quickened, he withdrew his hand.

Beth whimpered as Daryl withdrew his hand. She had almost been there. She had felt it before and thought she would die from pleasure. She had reached the precipice of pleasure when he withdrew his hand. She looked up at him. "Well then I guess we better do something about that", she said saucily.

Daryl reached between them and moved her jeans over her hips, sliding them down her legs, leaving her in her panties and shirt. She made a fine sight, he thought. He knew he had never seen anything sexier in his life than Beth lying beside him, her breasts firm and round beneath her shirt and her nipples taut against the fabric. He skimmed his hands on either side of her hips, looping his fingers through the string on them and pulling them downward, revealing her milky white skin joining at the apex of her thighs, a neat small tangle of soft blonde hair just above her narrow slit. He spread slow kisses over her stomach traveling lower and lower.

"What are you doing?" Beth whispered. Her face flushed even hotter than it already was. She tried to press her legs together. Surely he didn't mean to kiss her there. She had heard her girlfriends at school talk about this. It always seemed weird to her.

"Shhh, Princess, trust me" Daryl whispered back to her, gently prying her legs open. "Open your legs for me." He coaxed them open and positioned himself between them. He placed kisses along each thigh up one side and traveling down the other and back up again until he reached her wetness. He placed one finger inside of her, pushing it in and out; she was so tight and wet. He spread her further open with his other hand and lowered his tongue to her moving it in lazy circles.

Beth couldn't believe what they were doing or rather what he was doing to her. He opened her legs and Beth thought she would be embarrassed but she found it was extremely erotic to watch his face as he looked at her. She moaned as he put his finger inside her, but when he put his tongue on her and started licking and gently sucking, she groaned loudly and arched her hips up. He grasped her buttocks and held them still while continuing a relentless rhythm with his tongue. She felt like she was in a spiral and she could feel a tingle and ache in the base of her spine that radiated outwards. She was almost there, she could feel it. It was a burning, a deep seated need for _something_ more. She gripped Daryl's head because she had to have something to hold onto. She cried out his name as it washed over her, spiraling down into spasms of intense pleasure radiating all over her body. Every nerve in her body seemed on edge until she thought she was going to burst into a million pieces. She shuddered as it finally came to an end. She was breathing heavy.

Daryl moved back up her body, spreading kisses every so slowly. She looked down at him and he looked pretty pleased with himself. His eyes had a mischievous spark in them. Lord but he was sexy and he made her feel sexy. He made her feel like a woman. She wanted to feel him. Without even knowing why, she longed to feel him in her hand. She wanted to make him feel how she had just felt. She wanted to do everything with this man.

He had moved up beside her and was looking at her, a very slight smile on his lips. She wondered suddenly if she had ever seen him smile, well at her anyway. Sure, she had seen him smile at Little Ass Kicker plenty of times. That little girl had him wrapped around her little finger. But smiling at her, she could not remember, so she relished the fact that he was smiling at her now, even though a casual onlooker might mistake his slight smile for a smirk, but she knew better. His eyes crinkled up in the corners when he smiled and his eyes had a certain light reflected in them.

Daryl leaned over and kissed her softly as he felt Beth reach for the waist band of his pants, fumbling with the snap on his jeans until she got it undone. As she unzipped them, his breath hitched in his chest and he stopped her hand before she could go any further. "Hold up now, Princess, we probably need to talk about this first". He wanted her to be prepared. He didn't even know how experienced she was. He was willing to bet his next bowl of deer stew that she was a virgin though. He could feel how tight she was. "Have you ever had sex before, Beth?" He asked gently.

Beth shook her head at him. She had never done anything that she had done with Daryl before. Even the kisses she had shared with Zach and Jimmy had been just that, kisses. Stolen little pecks when there was nobody looking or watching them. "No" she admitted, "but I don't care Daryl" She started to protest.

Daryl could almost hear the wheels turning in her pretty little head. "Calm down. I'm not saying we not going to. I'm just thinking maybe we should take things slow. It can hurt the first time. We can take our time." And he wanted to. He wanted to take his time with her and at the same time, crazy as it was, he wanted to consume her all at once. He was aching to be with her. He wanted to bury himself inside her. In fact, he thought he might die from it, but he was willing to wait as long as she needed. He would never hurt her. He couldn't bear it if anything caused her pain.

"But Daryl I don't want to take our time. I want you now" she implored and he swore as sure as he was laying there, she batted her long dark eyelashes at him. He couldn't help himself, he grinned at her. He tickled her playfully in her ribs. "Did you just bat your eyelashes at me?" He asked her dumbly. She giggled and fumbled with his pants again. Lord this girl was persistent. He thought about what she had said. That she chose him. Damn nobody had ever chosen him before. He was always someone kicked aside. His Ma sure had loved him but she was gone all too soon. His old man sure as hell didn't choose him. In fact, Daryl was pretty sure he resented his existence and Merle's too for that matter. But Beth chose him. He marveled at this girl, whom he once thought silly and immature and she was anything but. Well she was silly, but in a good way. But she was definitely mature. He had underestimated her. He would have to remember that in the future.

"Daryl, please can I just touch you?" she asked him.

Well, hell, he thought. What man in his right mind would refuse that? He groaned and moved his lips over hers, feeling himself grow hard all over again. He got up abruptly and stood beside the bed. He removed his vest and shirt and laid them on the end of the bed. Then he reached down and let his pants slide to the floor. He hooked his fingers in his boxers and let them fall as well.

Beth watched as Daryl stood up and undressed before her. She took in his broad shoulders and chest which tapered down into rock hard abs. She let her eyes travel lower until she saw him. He was bigger than she would have thought. Beth took in a deep breath, feeling an ache. She quite simply wanted him. She had never had sex before, but she knew how things worked. Without even being able to figure out how or why she knew it, she wanted him deep inside her.

Daryl sat down on the bed beside her and slide her shirt over her shoulders. She laid naked beside him. He let his eyes travel over her body. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. He knew he had to take things slow with her though.  
"It might hurt for a little bit, but I'll try to make it as painless as possible" He warned her. Beth just nodded. He braced an arm on either side of her and eased himself over her wet opening and slid it in just slightly, stretching her slowly. He kept up this pace until he couldn't anymore and finally he eased it in the rest of the way and just stopped for a minute. "You okay?" he asked her. She nodded at him.

Beth braced herself as Daryl entered her and she was surprised to feel that it didn't hurt as bad as she thought. It hurt just a little at first and then when he stopped it was like her body adjusted. She moved her hips instinctively against his and heard him groan. He started moving again and set a slow steady rhythm and placed his lips over hers. She opened her mouth to him and sighed softly. He was moving in and out in a faster and faster rhythm and it felt so unbelievably amazing. She met him thrust for thrust just needing to feel him deeper and deeper. She could feel the pressure building again inside her, spiraling waves of pleasure, again and again. She felt him stiffening up and then he pulled himself out and Beth felt a warmness over her belly.

Daryl could not believe how good it felt to be inside her. He built up a steady rhythm and when he felt her moving her hips up against his, he knew he was not going to make it much longer. He felt her tighten around him and that was his undoing. He felt himself come apart and the waves rushing over his spine and down his legs. He pulled out just in time. He pulled her close to him and kissed her forehead. He looked down at her. "I didn't hurt you did I" he asked. He didn't think he had, he knew she had come, could feel it.

Beth shook her head. "Umm, no! That was the most amazing thing I have ever felt." She admitted blushing.

He smiled at her. "Well, next time maybe it can last a little longer." He looked at her sheepishly. "It's been awhile". He rolled off her and wrapped them both in a blanket, her head resting on his chest. He drew lazy circles over the side of her hip. He loved the slight curve of her hip before it dipped down to taper into her long shapely legs.

"Well good thing I don't know the difference then" she teased. She stifled a yawn.

He laughed at her spunk. "Well, well who thinks she knows everything now". He laughed. "Trust me, next time it will be longer and who knows, we might try something else. Now I think we could both use some sleep."

Beth started to complain and then yawned again. "I wore ya out huh, Princess" He said.

Beth smiled at him sleepily and nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, but when we wake up, we are doing that again". She sighed and closed her eyes.

Daryl chuckled to himself and looked down at her and knew she had fallen asleep. As he allowed himself to close his eyes and drift off to sleep, he tried not to think about the enormity of what they had just done. If they ever did find their group, he wasn't sure how they would handle all this. He wanted to freeze this moment in time. How could he have found something so wonderful, so beautiful and pure at the end of the world? Damn if that wasn't his stupid luck.

**Okay guys, this chapter was hard for me because I am a super perfectionist. I wanted it to be perfect. This is almost my head canon. But the thing is, I don't think Daryl and Beth would achieve everything they want in one lovemaking session. Rather it would be the opposite. They would never be able to get enough of each other, I don't think. I know that Daryl might be a little OOC, but it just seemed fitting for the situation they are in. Isolated cabin, middle of nowhere, no one around but the two of them. Like they are literally the only two people left alive in the whole world. And that's probably how it feels Somehow I think that would influence how somebody acted. I like to think that you could maybe reinvent yourself at least for a short time. So enjoy my dears and please please review if you feel inclined. It's honestly like a drug to me reading your reviews. Thanks for reading and until next time! Ciao! **


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Beth was having the best dream. She was in the field behind the barn. It was bright and sunny like a perfect June day. She was lying on a blanket and Daryl was sitting across from her. They were having a picnic. Then suddenly she turned around, hearing something in the brush. When she turned back around, Daryl was gone. She got up to go find him, thinking he might be hunting. As she stood up, she blinked and the whole field became a dark forest with shadows lurking about. The branches of the trees grew spindly into arms reaching down from above and the roots of the tree starting to wrap around her legs, tangling her up as she went tumbling to the ground. She watched in horror as the roots of the trees became the hands of walkers, the tree trunks turning into faces of walkers, and she could hear their death growls. She cried out for Daryl.

Daryl was vaguely aware of someone beside him in the bed. He slowly became aware of his surroundings and he remembered where he was. He barely had time to register the fact that it was Beth he was curled around protectively when she called out his name. Then she began to whimper and toss and turn. He shook her gently awake. "Beth, wake up. It's okay. You're just havin a bad dream". He pulled her a little closer to him and could feel her tears on his arm.

Beth awoke with a start. She had been dreaming of walkers and Daryl. She suddenly remembered the whole dream, Daryl disappearing, and the tree roots pulling her to the ground. "It was awful, Daryl." She shook her head to clear her head of the violent images she had just seen running through her head. Beth thought that the worst part of it was that though it had been a dream, it was pretty much their reality now.

Suddenly she remembered something she had once told Maggie when the flu had hit. She had told Maggie that they all had jobs to do and they didn't get to be upset. She quickly dried her tears and turned over to look at Daryl. She was acutely aware of how naked she was under the blanket they shared. She was also very aware of the vague ache between her thighs. It kind of felt like riding bareback on a horse in a way. Just that vague ache of muscles that were not used to being used. Beth thought that she would never think of riding a horse the same way again and smiled.

Lord, this woman confused him. First she was scared and then she was sad and crying and the next thing she was smiling up at him like she didn't have a care in the world. Females, he thought. "What are you smiling about?" he asked, his voice gruff from sleep.

"Nothing I was just thinking that I am a little sore." She admitted, but then rushed to explain. "I mean, I don't mind. I mean…..it was great." Beth's face flushed. God, she sounded like an idiot.

"Well that's to be expected I guess, but can you tell me why you think that's funny?" Daryl looked at her flushed face and was suddenly reminded of how flushed her face had been when they had been, well, doing what they were doing. He was having a hard time wrapping his mind around the fact that he was in bed with Beth Greene. But thinking about Beth before the prison fell and the Beth he knew now, it was like he never knew the prison Beth at all. This Beth lying beside him was so much more complex than the Beth he thought he knew. Something about having to take care of little ass kicker and losing practically everyone she had ever loved had made her grow up all too fast. Any hint of innocence she had when they first got to the farm was gone now. But the woman that had emerged was strong and hopeful in spite of everything and sassy, he thought, remembering how her eyes seemed to spark when she was pissed at him.

Beth just shook her head. There was no way she was telling him she had mentally compared horseback riding to having sex. No way, it was too embarrassing and he would think she was completely stupid. She buried her face in his shoulder.

Daryl skimmed his fingers over her ribs, tickling lightly and she laughed. He loved the sound of her laugh. They had had so few laughs in the last several weeks, hell months, he guessed. Daryl's stomach started to grumble. He realized that it was dark outside and they had never really eaten anything. "You hungry?" he asked her.

"I guess," Beth responded. Her stomach growled as if on cue.

"Guess that's a yes" he said as he laughed, having heard her stomach answer for her. He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead and sat up on the side of the bed, reaching down for his pants and pulling them on. He got up and retrieved his pack, bringing it back to the bed. As he walked back over to Beth, he saw that she had pulled the blanket up over her breasts and had it tucked under her arms. Her long blonde wavy tousled tresses were cascading over her shoulders. He could feel himself getting hard again. He hadn't felt anything even close to this before. He had no idea what was happening to him. He knew that it wasn't just sex. He knew it wasn't just getting his rocks off and moving on. Beth was the kind of girl that made a guy want to _stay._ He hadn't ever felt the need to stay somewhere before. He sat the pack down on the bed and sat back down next to her, opening the pack and handing her a bottle of water and a can of Vienna sausages.

Beth took the can from him and opened it. She tried not to think about what the gel stuff was surrounding the sausages. They were pretty disgusting actually but when you hadn't eaten in 24 hours and your choices were slim, you didn't really have much choice and you'd eat about anything. She and Daryl ate wordlessly, like they had so many times before on their journey here. But somehow, to Beth, it felt different. It was not an awkward silence. She studied him thoughtfully. Good grief, that man was intense when he was eating. Typical, she thought. Men really liked their food. She watched in horror as he took a jar of jelly and turned it up, a sizeable glop of it falling into his mouth. "Gross!" she said, scolding him.

He playfully wiggled his tongue back and forth, clearing not bothered by it. He grinned a little bit and she had to laugh. She really liked this side of him, she thought.

Daryl watched Beth pick at her food as she ate it. He swore she ate like a bird and he didn't know how in the world she even was able to stand up with as little as he saw her eat. As she ate the Vienna sausages, he tried not to draw a parallel in his mind with what every red-blooded male alive would think about. And he couldn't help it, but he did stare at her a little while she ate. He didn't think she even knew how beautiful she was.

Beth looked over at Daryl and caught his gaze. He was looking at her so intently and she thought she might melt under his heated stare. "What?" she asked suddenly a little self-conscious. Maybe she had food on her mouth, she thought horrified.

"Nothing, you just look damn sexy sitting there, half naked eating a midnight snack". He admitted eyeing her. If she knew the depth of what he was thinking, she would probably think he was some kind of sex-crazed pervert.

Beth visibly relaxed and slowly leaned over and kissed him sweetly on the mouth. She loved that he had called her sexy. She put her empty food container down on the bedside table and snuggled up to Daryl.

She hoped that he still felt this way about things in the morning. She knew how grumpy he could get when he thought he was supposed to be acting a certain way. She knew he closed himself off for a reason. She knew his father had abused him and she also had seen the scars on his back. The fact that he tried to do that just made Beth want to comfort him all the more.

"Well, Mr. Dixon, you might be surprised to know that I find you sexy as hell". She said, testing the curse word out. She didn't often swear but lately she seemed to have somewhat of a sailor's mouth. Daryl put his food aside and scooped her up in his arms laying her back on the bed, his mouth on hers in an instant.

Beth sighed softly. She knew that there was a big world outside this cabin. There were walkers, sure, and people they couldn't trust. And they had no idea where any of their prison family was. They had no idea where they were going really. But for this one night, Beth just wanted to pretend that none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered at the moment was she was in the arms of Daryl Dixon and she hadn't felt that good in a really long time, maybe even ever.

Okay guys, I know that this is a total fluff piece but I am happy overall with how it came out. I know it's not terribly long and I didn't think I would have the fortitude to write tonight given the long work weekend I have had, especially since my unit was especially crazy today. Ahh, the life of a nurse! Anyway, I digress. Thanks so much for all the reviews. You guys really know how to make a gal feel special. Glad that everybody is liking where the story is heading. So tomorrow I am going to start working on the next chapter and will post as soon as I can. Again, I cannot emphasize enough, your reviews are truly like crack to me. Ha ha Ciao!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Daryl continued kissing Beth, pushing aside the pack and gathering her in his arms and laying her down gently on the bed. He pushed aside her hair at the hollow of her neck, exposing the smooth white skin, like a soft blanket. He kissed her at that hollow and he realized that it was one of his favorite spots on her body. That smooth hollow and the soft curve of her hip right before it met with her thighs. If Daryl had an Achilles heel it would be one of those two spots on Beth. And her eyes, he reminded himself. He loved the way they sparked when she was pissed at him. Hell, he groaned, he liked _everything_ about her. He wondered how she felt about him. She had said she chose him but he wondered if she felt for him the depth of wonderment he felt in her. He didn't know if he would be able to put it into words. He had never been in the habit of expressing his feelings. He was in a whole new territory and he tried not to think about how much that scared the hell out of him. He just wanted to absorb every nuance and essence of Beth. He reached down and removed his pants in quick movements.

Thinking of her hips, he spread slow soft kisses, traveling down to her belly. He meant to head to her hip to kiss that soft curve that stirred a deep need in him, but he got sidetracked by her firm round breasts. He pulled a nipple into his mouth and softly suckled, hearing a sharp intake of her breath. He squeezed the other breast as he suckled and kissed. She was writhing beneath him. He moved his hand between them and felt for her wetness. Satisfied that she was wet enough, he positioned himself over her. This time was different. Whereas the first time had been about exploration and first time tenderness, this time was all about pent up desire and need. As if reading his mind, she opened her legs readily and wrapped them around his back. He entered her in one swift motion, both of them crying out in intense pleasure. He set a punishing rhythm that had them both breathing heavy.

Beth forgot all about her soreness as that now familiar ache began in her pelvis, radiating outwards and downwards. She could feel herself getting wet as he sucked at her nipples. She gasped as he suddenly delved a finger into her and moved himself between her legs. She opened her legs for him and as she wrapped her legs around his back, he entered her and filled her completely. It was as if their bodies were answering an unspoken question to one another.

She kept arching her hips up instinctively in an age old dance. He groaned in response and whispered her name "Beth." Just that one word. A hint of a plea, for her to stop moving her hips so. For her to never stop. He wasn't really sure. He could tell she was getting close. Her breathing was hitching at just the right times. He felt her spiral out of control and clench around him. His own climax came moments later as the fierce waves of gratification washed over him. He pulled out and collapsed beside her, both of them breathing heavy.

Beth didn't think they had slept for more than two hours before they had woken up and after eating a small amount of food, devoured each other instead. As she caught her breath, she looked over at Daryl. He had his eyes closed and one arm thrown up across his forehead. She propped her head up on her hand and turned to face him. "Daryl, do you think we will do this every day now?" she asked him. She just had to know what he was thinking about all this and if she had to pull it out of him, she was going to.

"I dunno, Princess. We're gonna have to be careful. Can't have you getting pregnant." He said logically looking at her as she lay there lazily tracing circles on his arms with her finger. Her fingers felt like liquid silk on his skin. She was so soft and warm.

Beth looked at him, suddenly too stunned to speak. She hadn't ever thought of it. She had thought Lori was an idiot for bringing a baby into this world. But then when Judith had come, she remembered, she knew she had never seen anything more beautiful in her life. She was a spark of hope and love in this haunted world they now lived in. But, they didn't have any protection at all. She tried to remember when her last period was and she could not remember. She looked at Daryl, dumbfounded. "How could I be so stupid?" she said.

"Relax, I pulled out both times so far. It's about the best I can do. Maybe the next town we come to will have condoms." He winked at her.

How could he be so cavalier towards her about something this serious? Then again, she thought she hadn't had a period in so long she might not ever be able to conceive a child these days. As she thought about it, she was so conflicted. She was horrified and at the same time, when she thought of little ass kicker, some deep maternal need rose up and she suddenly wondered what their baby would look like. Hers and Daryl's baby, she mused and smiled.

"What are you smiling about?" he asked her playfully.

"Nothing," she said grinning from ear to ear. "Just thinking about what our baby would look like" she couldn't believe she had said that out loud and laughed at the expression on his face.

"Shit, Beth, that's the scariest thing that's ever come out of yer mouth!" he said and she continued laughing. He was looking so serious.

"What's so damn funny?" he demanded to know.

Beth replied, "Just thinking that he or she would come out and be this cute little version of me and you. They would have blonde hair and dark blue eyes and they'd have a little miniature crossbow. She laughed at the image, knowing he hated being teased about his crossbow. He was attached to it, but he would never admit it.

"Jesus, that's a scary thought" said Daryl thoughtfully.

"Relax," she teased "the world could do a lot worse than another Daryl Dixon in it". And she really meant it.

He scoffed at her and bent to kiss her again before rolling them both over to go to sleep.

Daryl and Beth had been at the cabin for three days now. Her ankle was almost better, but they wanted to give themselves the best chance of traveling on foot. So they waited one more night. They would be leaving in the morning. They had spent the past three days alternating going out hunting squirrels and rabbits, while killing the occasional walker, with having the best sex he had ever had in his life. And it wasn't just that. He just could not get enough of her, his princess, his Beth. He had suddenly become possessive of her. He was loving the time that they were sharing together. He knew they were leaving tomorrow to go find their family and he really wanted to find them. Rick, Carol, Carl and Little Ass Kicker. They just had to find them. But at the same time he was thinking this, he was thinking that he did not want to share Beth with anyone. These two thoughts were at war inside his head and it was starting to give him a damn headache.

They were sitting on the bed and playing cards and she was kicking his ass at poker. He would have never have guessed this little blonde spitfire would know how to win at poker. She had the best poker face he had ever seen and he had definitely played his fair share of it in his day. So far, he had lost a jar of jelly, a can of beer, his bandana and a few "favors". It's a good thing they weren't playing for money, he thought.

Over the past few days, they had seldom left the bed except for the necessary things, like hunting for food and necessary bathroom trips and such. Back behind the house, they had found a shed that they thought was storage. It had turned out it was an old shower house. It had an enormous fresh rainwater tank that ran to the shower inside the shed. The water pressure sucked as it was just an old fashioned pull type and if it didn't rain well then you didn't bathe, Beth mused. She remembered their time together in the shower and blushed. There was just something so incredibly erotic about taking a shower with someone, she thought. It was so darn sexy watching the muscles ripple in Daryl's back and shoulders as the spray washed over him. And the things he had done to her in that shower; Beth blushed as she laid down her cards. She had just gotten a full house.

Daryl swore softly "Damnit woman, that's it, I'm cleaned out." He threw his cards down and made as if emptying his pockets and she laughed, scooping up the other can of beer and two pieces of gum. Of course, she was going to share with him. She would never keep all those things for herself. The one thing he wasn't going to welsh on though was the "favors". She told him so too, handing him a piece of gum. She popped the gum into her mouth and chewed with savor. It was the old kind of bubble gum. The kind that was sticky and it made your mouth hurt it was so sweet. She leaned over suddenly and kissed Daryl.

He could taste the sweetness of the gum on her lips and something about the way she kissed him made him think of cotton candy, her tongue sugar laden and seeming to melt into him.

In no time, they were naked before one another and they spent the next hour exploring each other until they could no longer stay awake.

They awoke the next morning to the sound of thunder and a hard rain pounding down on the tin roof of the shed. He suddenly hoped that the lightning was striking anywhere near them. It would draw in walkers. It's strange how their apocalyptic world changed the perspective on everything, even a thunderstorm. He looked over at his sleeping angel. She was curled into him and he knew she would wake up soon. They always seemed to wake at the same time. He had never been used to sleeping with anyone before but with Beth it felt like second nature. It was almost the same as breathing being with Beth. As if on cue, she opened her eyes sleepily and mumbled "good morning" smiling. He loved when he woke up before her. He was not a morning person at all. Waking up before her allowed him the time he needed to gather his thoughts. He had always been that way, he thought.

Beth loved waking up next to him, she thought. He was watching her as she slept and normally that would strike her as kind of creepy but she thought it was sweet that Daryl did that. She wondered what he thought about. She leaned over to kiss him good morning and jumped as the thunder cracked, sending a bright white light into the room. She laughed nervously.

It was at that moment that there was a knock at the door. They looked at each other, both of their eyes reflecting surprise, hope and fear all at the same instant. Daryl knew she was thinking the same thing as him. Walkers didn't knock.

**Hi guys, sorry, I did it again didn't I? A cliffhanger, gaaaaa. I know it's been a lot of feels and lots of sex lately. And I want to make sure that you know that it's not always going to be all sex scenes. Let's face it, it can get boring if you throw that in too much. But I had to build up a base of scenes for them to replay in their minds. I really am excited about where the story is headed now. Obviously someone is at the door. Who? Tune in for the next chapter to find out my lovelies *wicked grin*. As always, you guys are the absolute best. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the reviews. I am trying to reply to all of them one at a time. It might take me a day or two, but I eventually get to them. So keep them coming and let me know how I am doing. Til next time, ciao! **


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

When they heard the knocking and after Daryl recovered from his surprise, Daryl got up soundlessly, motioning for Beth to be quiet, and pulled on his clothes hurriedly. He quickly pulled on his boots, thinking that anybody on the other side of that door would not take him seriously if he showed up barefoot. He looked back to the bed. Beth had already put her clothes back on and grabbed her knife. Daryl grabbed his bow and headed to the only window on the front of the cabin. Daryl motioned for Beth to hide in the bathroom. She had a scowl on her face.

Beth was frustrated that Daryl was making her hide. Again. She looked at him angrily but the look he had on his face left no room for argument. She went to the bathroom and left the door cracked open so she could see what was going on.

Daryl crept the rest of the way to the window and pulled back the curtain slightly to see if he could see who was there. The knocking continued. He heard a voice from the other side of the door. "We know somebody's in there. We heard laughin'". Daryl put his bow down and let out a huge breath that he didn't realize he had been holding. He would know that voice anywhere. He called out to Beth the all clear and wrenched open the door. Rick was standing in the doorway, gun cocked and ready pointing at Daryl.

As soon as Rick saw Daryl, he eased his gun down and clicked the safety back on, tucking it into his waistband as Daryl extended his hand out for Rick to grip.

Rick's face was a collage of emotions. He looked sad, relieved and happy all at the same time. Rick took his hand and pulled him in for an awkward, but constricting hug.

Daryl clapped Rick on the back. "Man, it's good to see you brother," he said to Rick sincerely, stepping back and allowing him to enter. He took in Rick's companions. There was a girl who looked all of 23 years old, a young guy about the same age and a girl about the age of Carl. And speak of the devil, Daryl thought, grinning as Carl trailed after the girl. They all walked in the cabin, Rick's crew soaked to the bone from the relentless storm outside.

Beth stood back in surprise and once recovered, she ran over to Rick and hugged him fiercely. "Rick, we thought we had lost everyone!" Beth couldn't help herself. She had tears springing up in her eyes. She let them fall unbidden and wiped them away with a laugh. She took in the sight of the others that Rick had with him. A girl about Maggie's age and a guy about the same age as him, maybe a little younger. Then she saw Carl and she ran forward and grabbed him up in a hug. Carl blushed slightly but returned the hug heartily. "Beth, is Judith with you?" he began.

Beth pulled back and felt the tears threatening to return. "No, I'm so sorry. We got separated before we even left the prison" She look at him and her heart felt like it was broken in a thousand pieces. It all suddenly came back to her, losing everyone. I keep hopin' the kids made it out okay. Maybe somebody has them safe somewhere."

They all sat down on the sofa, the bed, and on the floor, wherever they could find a space. Everyone wanted to talk at once. The mood was serious but overall hopeful. They had never thought they would see each other again. Even small victories as these deserved a celebration, Beth thought. They had so few things to celebrate these days. She looked over at the newcomers and noticed they were very quiet, especially the other girl. She looked like she was mad at the whole world. She was pretty and very tall with long dark hair pulled up in a sleek ponytail. She had a lovely olive complexion and her dark steel gray eyes were stunning, especially when accented by her dark full lashes and high arched brows. She was stunning really, Beth thought. She didn't look like the end of the world had affected her at all. Beth introduced herself, "I'm Beth and this is Daryl". She motioned to Daryl and then looked back at them expectantly. The guy spoke first. "I'm Liam and this is my sister Lily" he motioned to Lily. Everyone looked at Jenna. She looked up and said "Jenna" and that was it. It wasn't so much that she didn't mention her last name. No one did anymore. In one fell swoop, their society had been reduced to first name status only. Nobody cared what your last name was. Chances are you weren't going to confuse peoples names and need the distinction of a surname nowadays, Beth thought pragmatically. They all finished the introductions and went back to talking amongst themselves.

Beth thought she looked about Carl's age. She was all legs and was slightly taller than Carl and had soft dark blonde curls that wisped around her face and fell over her shoulders. She looked like she had seen her fair share, which she probably had. They all had. Beth noticed that Carl kept stealing glances at Lily and she smiled to herself. She thought it was cute. She remembered it hadn't been that long ago that he had a crush on her.

Daryl and Rick were chatting amicably and talking about the events of the attack at the prison. Rick filled Daryl in on what he knew. They were able to put everything together between the two of them. It had been so chaotic they weren't sure what all had happened. Daryl looked over at Beth and noticed her studying Carl and the girl, Lily was her name. He looked back and forth between the two. The girl was completely oblivious to the situation. Carl kept sneaking looks over at her. Oh boy, he had it bad. Daryl chuckled softly. Poor kid, he knew how he felt. At that thought, Daryl was surprised at the revelation. He looked up at Beth suddenly and felt his heart stop in his chest. She was smiling at something Lily was saying. He swore her smile lit up a room. As if she felt him looking at her, Beth looked over at him, subconsciously tucking one strand of hair behind her ear and smiling at him. Her signature ponytail had been abandoned days ago. He liked her wearing her hair down. That way he could runs his fingers through it as he claimed her body as his, he thought and felt his thoughts traveling down a road that was going to lead to nowhere right now. Not with everyone here. He wondered what the hell they were going to do now. They had been holed up in this cabin for days now and it had become easy to forget if anyone else existed. It had been just the two of them for near a week now. It changed a perspective, he thought to himself. A look passed between him and Beth and he knew she was thinking the same thing.

Beth could feel Daryl watching her. She smiled at him reassuringly. Suddenly she was self-conscious of the fact that she was sitting on the bed that she and Daryl had made love in not even hours ago. She wondered if anyone could tell what was going on with her and Daryl. She knew Daryl was concerned about what everyone might think of their new….arrangement. Relationship? She wasn't sure what they were to each other. She just knew she loved him with all her heart. She hadn't told him yet because she was afraid he wasn't ready to hear it. Afraid she wasn't ready to say it. Afraid because neither of them wanted to burst the perfect bubble that they were in. But the fact of the matter was, that bubble had burst the moment they heard the knock at the door.

Rick had never been so happy to see anyone in his whole life, except for maybe when he was reunited with Carl and Lori before everything else had happened. Sometimes it seemed to Rick that his life with Lori was a whole lifetime ago. Sometimes he felt like it had been someone else that had that life, not him. The way things were nowadays, you couldn't help but change with each circumstance. You really couldn't help it, he thought to himself. They had been on the road for days. They had come across Liam and Lilly and Jenna about two days ago. They had been setting up camp in the woods and they came strolling up looking worse for wear but alive and Carl and Rick had shared what little bit of food they could find. Both groups were happy to have found one another. It was scary out there. Rick and Carl had gotten overrun by walkers at the last house they had found. They had barely made it out alive. They had had to climb out the top window and go down the trellis on the side, praying it didn't break and praying that there were no more walkers to meet them at the bottom. They had run off in the night, leaving behind the flash light they had found and the sleeping bags. It had been a cold night that night. They nearly froze and found themselves huddling under a bridge, staying together to stay as warm as possible.

It was the next night that Jenna and her crew had come across them. He knew a little of their back story. Liam and Lily were brother and sister, he knew that, and their parents had been killed at the beginning of the end. They had gone on the road and got in with a group for awhile but after they got overrun by a herd, they had gone off on their own until they ran into Jenna a month later. They had been together ever since. No one seemed to know Jenna's back story and she certainly wasn't volunteering it. He only knew her weapon of choice was a scythe. That was hard to miss. She carried it everywhere and watching her wield it on walkers was a sight to behold. She was fierce and emotionless when she was killing walkers. She was also efficient as hell. Rick had decided early on that Jenna, for all her stoicism, was someone he definitely wanted in his corner.

Rick noticed Daryl was rather quiet. He knew this was normal for him but when he looked over at Daryl he noted that he was looking in Beth's direction. From what he gathered, it was just he and Beth since the prison fell. Daryl was looking at Beth and Beth's glance at Daryl he recognized in an instant. Oh man, he thought. He didn't?! I mean he couldn't really blame him. Beth was a beautiful woman but she was barely 19. He knew Daryl was nearly twice her age if not more. He wasn't sure how he felt about this. He just didn't want to see anybody get hurt. He knew if Maggie knew she probably wouldn't approve. Nope, he thought, she would probably beat the hell out of Daryl and Beth both if she knew. Maggie was fiercely protective of Beth. Rick would talk to Daryl but honestly he wanted to stay out of it. He saw the way Beth looked at Daryl. Whatever was going on between them, it was clearly mutual. Rick could never deny Beth any happiness. She had been invaluable to him in taking care of Judith all the time. She was a mother, or had been he thought with a pain hitching in his chest, to his little girl and a damn good one at that. Ah, hell he didn't know how he felt about it. He kept wondering if he was imagining things but there was something in the way they were around each other that made it obvious there was something going on. He noticed the way he looked at her when he thought no one else was looking. It was also hard to miss the way she would casually touch his arm. He recognized the looks they had been exchanging. He shifted his gaze to the only bed in the room and then glanced back to the sofa. The cop in him was putting the puzzle together in his mind. He noticed that there were no blankets on the sofa but the blankets and pillows on the bed were all askew. That most likely meant that Daryl and Beth were sleeping in the same bed. He had to admit, he was very curious and supposed he would have to wait until he and Daryl were alone so they could talk. Man that was going to be an interesting conversation, he thought. And he couldn't wait.

**Okay there it is guys, that's who was at the door. Are you surprised ? Jenna, Liam and Lily were characters in my head that were just dying to come out and play. I am very excited for what is in store for them all. I hope you will be too. Sometimes I am just as surprised as you guys with the direction this story takes. As always, thank you, thank you, thank you for your loyal readership and for your reviews. You are so very kind and I am so pleased that everyone is enjoying reading it as much as I am writing it. I am getting ready to go and respond to a bunch of reviews now. Let me know how you like the new developments and how things are with Rick and Daryl and of course Beth and Daryl. Ahhh, Rickyl! Yes! Sorry, they are just so cute. Fangirl moment. Okay my dears, enjoy and review if you feel inclined. Ciao! **


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Daryl suddenly noticed that Rick was studying him in interest. Busted, he thought. Man was he gonna catch hell from Rick over this. The group began murmuring complaints of hunger and Daryl got up to busy himself fixing something to eat. Beth got up from the bed and walked over to the small counter and wood stove. They had fixed some of the squirrel last night so they started rounding up and fixing plates for everyone, there were only five plates so some would have to share a plate. Beth reached over and touched Daryl wordlessly on the arm, reaching past him to dole out some canned oranges onto a plate. She was fixing their plate. They had been eating oranges and peanut butter for the past two days. Daryl really hated peanut butter but you'd take what you could get when you'd been eating berries for days on end.

Beth handed out plates and sat cross legged on the floor beside Daryl and handed him their shared plate, as she had done so many times in the past couple days. She took an orange off the plate and popped it into her mouth, letting the juice slide down her throat. Daryl was unusually quiet and it was as if his thoughts were screaming at her, what now? She looked at him and smiled. She was completely unfazed by all this she realized. So what if everyone was going to be pissed at her and Daryl and whatever it was they had going on. She hadn't had time to process all of it. She loved him and she thought he felt the same way, but they just hadn't gotten to that point yet of being able to talk about it. They might be forced to now, she thought. She wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

Daryl looked at Beth for the fourteenth time in the last minute and watched as she put the orange in her mouth and noticed the glistening wetness on her lips left behind by the orange juice. Daryl knew that if he wasn't holding their plate and no one else was there, he would be leaning over and kissing her right now. Something so sexy about how she put that orange in her mouth and the look on her face. It wasn't unlike how she looked right before he kissed her. He sighed remembering how she had tasted like bubblegum. He knew that right now she tasted like oranges and he desperately wanted to kiss her and drink her in. But Daryl definitely wasn't a guy that was into public displays and all that. So the feeling he had to just reach over and show the world that she was his was foreign to him and honestly, it scared the shit out of him. What the hell were they going to do, he thought? Because as much as he didn't relish the group finding out about them and he didn't even know what the devil it was that they were doing together; well he really didn't know how much longer he was going to be able to restrain himself after being able to touch her so freely the past few days. Yeah, he was screwed, he thought as he popped an orange into his mouth and washed it down with some water.

Beth subconsciously shifted her legs a bit to stretch her ankle out. It was still a little sore but it was much better. She leaned her other leg against Daryl's, trying to work out the kinks in the injured ankle. He looked at her concerned. "You okay?" he asked her.

Beth looked up at him. She didn't think anyone else had heard him speak. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just stretching it out is all. It's feeling a lot better" she assured him, patting him on the leg. She let her long delicate fingers linger for just a minute unsure of what to do with them. She wanted to run her fingers up his leg to his inner thigh. That was one of his most sensitive spots, she knew. That was the spot she went to when she wanted to see him grow hard. She could get the same response if she just lightly kissed the side of his neck and let her lips brush just behind his ear. She grinned to herself thinking what would happen if she did that right now. Just leaned over and kissed him on the neck in front of everyone.

"What're you smiling about?" he looked at her like she had grown horns out of her head. Damn was she tryin to give away their secret? Her hand was still on his leg, just a slight possessive grip. Shit, he thought, she may as well just announce to everyone in the room that they were sleeping together. It was obvious to him, it had to be to everyone else too. Daryl looked around. Nobody seemed to be paying them any attention; except for Rick. Rick looked at Daryl and met his gaze. Rick raised his eyebrows at him. He could swear the bastard was grinning at him. He caught his gaze at Beth's hand on his thigh and Daryl closed his hand over Beth's, not moving it, but just stopping it from moving.

Rick saw the war going on between Daryl and Beth and chuckled to himself. Poor Daryl didn't stand a chance. He saw that determined look in Beth's eyes. He had seen it before. When she had been trying to get Judith to crawl. When she was trying to convince her Daddy that she was ready to have fence duty and help kill walkers. Yeah, Daryl was completely done, he thought.

Daryl looked from Rick to Beth. She was grinning like a cat that had just caught its mouse. Beth was completely unaware of the silent communication between Rick and Daryl of the exchange between them. Daryl could swear he saw Rick smiling. Damn bastard thought it was funny huh. He looked at Beth again. "What?" she asked him innocently going back to picking at the oranges, selecting another one to pop into her mouth.

The group was deciding to stay put for that day and they would leave the next morning at first light. Beth's ankle was well enough to travel now, but the other group could use showers and a change of clothes. It turned out the cabin had plenty. They worked out plans for the day. Liam and Lily would clean up the dishes from their breakfast of squirrel, oranges and peanut butter. Jenna, Rick and Carl would go out hunting for berries and dispatch any straggling walkers and he and Beth would go hunt for whatever game they could find. Beth had gotten pretty good with the bow in the past few days. And Daryl was teaching her to track again and she was becoming pretty damn good at it.

Daryl and Beth cleaned up quickly and Beth put on her boots and found a jacket in the trunk by the bed that would fit reasonably well. The rain had stopped but the air had a damp quality and it had chilled significantly out there. It was unseasonably cool fall morning, especially for deep south Georgia. They set out west of the cabin looking for any signs of animals from the night before. As soon as they were far enough out from the house Daryl grabbed Beth's hand and pulled her around to face him.

Startled, Beth turned around impatiently, "You scared me." She said. "I thought you were a walker grabbing me" she explained.

"Dammit Beth, we're gonna wish it was walkers grabbing us when word gets around about us" he looked terrified, Beth realized.

"Relax Daryl, nobody knows anything" she assured him and stepped into his arms. She had been dying to kiss him again since the other group had arrived. But she sensed Daryl's hesitation and she was waiting on him to make the first move.

"I hate to break it to you, Princess, but Rick knows". He said mirthlesslessly. He watched the emotions play out on her face. Surprise, then doubt and then surprise again.

"No, he doesn't. Did he say anything?" she asked him.

Daryl replied gruffly "No," he said holding her at arm's length. He desperately wanted to kiss her. He knew the others had gone in the opposite direction but he was still wary. He wasn't ready to share her with anyone, he realized. He didn't want anyone to stomp on the small blossom of happiness that they had found in that cabin.

She visibly relaxed at his answer "Well then what are you worried about?" she said reaching up and kissing the side of his neck softly. "If Rick didn't say anything, then how do you know he knows?" she said coming up on tiptoe and pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

Daryl responded by groaning and letting her tongue into his mouth and kissing her urgently. He could still taste the oranges on her tongue. He pulled back slightly, his mind and heart at war. "Trust me, I just know." He said to her before lowering his lips to hers again. He was thinking of the wordless communication between him and Rick. But with Beth standing before him and kissing her like there was no tomorrow, he didn't care. God help him, he was falling for this girl. And he didn't know if there was a damn thing he could do to stop it.

**And there we have it, I know it is shorter than some of the other ones but hey it's two chapters in one day. I did this in case I am unable to write tomorrow. I have to work again. Reality calls, I guess. Plus this story really is just in my head most of the day and I just feel a need to get it out on "paper" so to speak. Thanks again for the reviews. Keep 'em coming. I go through withdrawals without reviews. Haha Okay everyone, until next time. Ciao! **


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Beth was so content in Daryl's arms. He was such a good kisser. It was funny, she had known that Daryl would be experienced. The thoughts of doing things with him had kept her awake many a night at the prison. But kissing him was better than anything she could have ever day-dreamed. His mouth angled over hers so he could deepen the kiss even further. He backed her up slowly by pushing her hips. She felt a hard surface behind her and knew it was the tree that they had stopped under. She wondered briefly if Rick really knew what was going on, but she supposed if Daryl said it was true, then it must be so. Heaven knew those two were thick as thieves. They had a language all their own, one only they could understand.

Daryl ran his hands up over her hips and lifted her up and wrapped her legs around his hips. He gently rocked against her, making sure that she didn't get too pressed into the tree. She tasted so damn sweet, he felt himself going hard. He could not put into words just how he felt kissing her. He wanted to possess every inch of her all at once. It was a burning need that he had never felt with anyone before. He ran his hand over her ass, gripped it tightly while he ground himself against her, the fabric of her jeans creating a warm friction against him. He didn't think he could possibly get any harder. He wanted her so badly. And he had no idea how to achieve that. With everyone at the house they were no longer alone. Plus they had kids there too. All these thoughts raced through his head. It was like his brain was trying to reconcile what his body could not.

Beth had never experienced anything so erotic before. They were making out, in the open, where anyone could stumble upon them. She thought briefly of Rick catching them in the act. It made her strangely heady. She could feel Daryl pressing into her and she could feel herself getting wetter. She longed to feel him inside her.

Daryl finally dragged his mouth away from hers to take a breath. He eased her back to the ground. He looked at her fretfully. "Guess we can't exactly do it right up against the damn tree". He said, the disappointment evident in his voice.

Beth opened her eyes and looked at him. He actually looked like a little kid who'd just been told no. She laughed a little. "Why not?" she said, teasing. "We're consenting adults aren't we?" She said practically.

"Well yeah, but damn Beth it might look funny you going back with splinters in your ass." He laughed at that and she had to join him. It _would_ be hard to explain something like that, she thought. "You're so funny. " She felt it again; that unbelievably hard tug on her heart. It was like her breath stopped sometimes. It was simple. She loved him. And it wasn't any one thing he said or did. She couldn't really explain it. It just was. She smiled softly at him. She wanted to tell him so bad, but he was already so skittish, she was worried she might scare him to death. He was having a hard enough time getting comfortable telling her how he felt about her sexually. No, she would just have to wait to tell him until it was the right time. When that would be she had no idea.

"God, you're beautiful" he said, as she smiled at him. He couldn't believe he had said that. He didn't know what came over him; he just had to tell her. Beth was the kind of girl that ought to be told she was beautiful every day. Because she was. For all the reasons that he knew were conventional and the unconventional ones too. She had an angelic quality about her. He guessed it was her hair. He reached out to brush his hand gently down the side of her head, running his fingers lightly through the thick wavy strands. He moved his hand down and ran his thumb over the small hollow at the base of her throat. He dipped his head down to kiss her there and heard her moan. He smiled and pulled away, planting a light firm kiss on her surprised lips. He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the tree. "Come'on. We keep this up, everyone will starve tonight", he said simply. We gotta go catch dinner." She pouted at him and he laughed.

"But Daryl, can't we just kiss a little bit longer" she said sweetly, trailing after him.

"No, cause if do that, I'm not gonna be able to control myself. I'll just shove you up against that tree and have my way with you", he looked over and grinned at the look on her face.

Beth's mouth dropped open. "Well, Mr. Dixon, I'll have you know that I'm a good girl and I don't do sex outside or against trees". She laughed.

"Now, Princess I think we both know better than that." Daryl looked at her slyly, his hair in his eyes in that endearing way he had. She could just barely see his eyes and they had that spark in them again. The spark that told her he was up to no good. She knew what he was remembering. Not the tree part, although that would be hot. No, he was remembering the day before when they had been out hunting. They had found a deep cave in the woods. After exploring and making sure there were no walkers, they had started kissing and before they even knew what they were doing, they were lying half naked on the mossy floor of the cave, and he was inside her. It had been different than the other times. It had been fervent need, a tangling of bodies, slick with sweat, riding out a rhythm as old as time itself until they both came within seconds of each other. She blushed at the memory and followed after Daryl. Daryl handed her another squirrel. While she was daydreaming, which she seemed to do a lot of these days, he had caught 4 squirrels.

They walked on a little further looking for any signs of game and found a dead deer. It had been disemboweled. That could really only mean one thing. Daryl knew a walker had to be nearby. He had seen some tracks a while ago but hadn't wanted to alarm Beth until he knew he was sure. He subconsciously pushed her behind him looking for traces of the walker. It had abandoned its prey for something. The deer's blood still looked fresh.

Suddenly they heard a piercing scream. It sounded like a girl. Beth thought instantly of Lily. They both took off running towards the sound of the scream. She was supposed to have stayed at the cabin with Carl. They heard it again. Beth and Daryl must have tracked back closer to the house than they had once thought. They came into the clearing just before the cabin and they saw Lily trying to fight off a walker with a baseball bat. She couldn't get far enough away from it to swing with enough force to knock it down.

Daryl swore loudly and cocked his bow, aiming carefully and hitting the walker square in the head.

Beth and Daryl ran over to Lily where the walker had just toppled over on her. She was trying to get it off her, but she weighed about 100 pounds soaking wet, thought Daryl. He reached down and pulled the rotting corpse off of her and flung it to the side.

Beth reached down and helped the girl up. She was not hysterical at all. Beth remembered the first time she had really encountered a walker. She had been completely inconsolable. She had never been more terrified in her whole life. Lily was surprisingly calm. She got up and ran her hands down over her shirt, walker blood everywhere. She reached down and pulled the hem of her shirt over her head.

Daryl looked at the girl slack-jawed and then relaxed when he saw she was wearing a tank top underneath the shirt. She had spunk, he thought. Girl like that oughta be scared of walkers. She should at least be freaking out over the walker blood that had splattered all over her shirt when it had landed on her. Daryl gained a sudden respect for her.

Everyone had come running when Lily screamed. Now that it was all over, everyone was standing and catching their breath, relieved that no one had been hurt. Rick and Daryl got the walker and dragged it away from the cabin. They would have to burn the body later.

Beth took in Carl's expression and laughed to herself. He had been staring intently at Lily, watching the whole scene with her removing her walker blood soaked shirt. He reminded her of one of those cartoons where the boy has animated hearts floating up out of his eyes. Oh boy, he really did like this girl. And her acting all tough had just moved her up a notch in Carl's eyes. He was a tough kid. She had seen him overcome more than any kid she had ever known. She knew he had to put down his own mom so she wouldn't turn after she had Judith. Rick had just about lost his mind, but Carl had stepped up to the plate and helped take care of Judith and everyone else at the prison. He had a rough patch for a while where everyone thought it was going to emotionally scar him, but then he seemed to come to a sense of balance between what was right and wrong. She looked at Lily walking back into the cabin. She was utterly clueless about how Carl felt. Poor kid, she thought shaking her head. She looked over at Daryl and Rick. They had dragged the walker's body away and now they appeared to be having an intense discussion. She had a sinking feeling that they were talking about her. She left them to it, but she was going to be asking Daryl about it later.

As soon as they had dragged the walker a good distance away from the cabin, Rick stood back up and brushed his hands off on his pants. He turned to Daryl who was looking at him expectantly.

"Alright brother, let me have it" Daryl said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Rick looked at him standing there all defensive and laughed outright. Rick put his hands up in mock defeat. "Man, I'm not your judge" Rick said simply. "I'm just warning you. When Maggie finds out, she's gonna kill you". He looked at Daryl's crestfallen expression and softened. "How do you feel about her?"

Daryl knew Maggie was gonna be pissed and part of him understood why. Hell, he'd feel the same way if it was his sister dating someone like him, especially someone much older. "I don't know, man. I ain't good with shit like this" he said looking at Rick with a pained expression in his face.

Rick looked at Daryl and shook his head "You better _get_ good with it brother. Beth is not just any girl. She's a Greene. She's one of Hershel's daughters. She is definitely gonna have expectations." And it was true. Daryl knew it. "So do you love her?" Rick asked him bluntly.

Daryl looked up at him. He had been warring with this thought inside his head. "I don't know" he said honestly. "I mean I think I do. Damn I know I sound like a complete idiot. What kind of moron doesn't know what love feels like" he said toeing the dirt with tip of his boot.

"Well, man only thing I can tell you is this. When I met Lori, I fell for her hard. She was so pretty and funny and smart. I knew I loved her when I tried to imagine my life without her", Rick smiled at the memory of Lori. It still hurt to remember her sometimes, but not as much as it once did. He was glad for the time they had together but if he was going to be really honest with himself, they were fighting even before the world went to hell. Who knew what would have happened had all this gone down.

Rick continued. "So you just gotta figure it out I guess. Think about Beth and how much she means to you. Then you gotta decide how bad you want it." Rick had never really considered Daryl in a relationship before. He knew Daryl had a past, had scars and demons that he fought. He didn't tell Daryl this, but he also knew that if there was anyone who could help him battle those demons, it was Beth Greene. That girl had a light in her that just couldn't be put out. She was a rare person. And so was Daryl. He decidedly suddenly that they really deserved this. If this is what made them happy then they should go for it. "Man, you've got my blessing if that's what you're lookin for. You don't gotta prove anything to me. Just don't wait too long to figure out what it is Beth means to you."

Rick didn't need to explain why. Life had been too short before the dead had taken over. Now it was even shorter. You never knew from one day to the next if you were going to be alive or eaten.

Daryl stepped over to Rick and clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks brother. I'll figure it out I guess. " How could he explain what how he felt about Beth when he couldn't put it in words?

Rick clapped Daryl on the back. "Anytime, man" and he meant it. Daryl had saved his life on more than one occasion and vice versa. "Oh and by the way, you ain't got a prayer anyway, " he laughed.

"Just what the hell is that supposed to mean" Daryl demanded.

Rick grinned at him knowingly. "Let's just say I saw the way Beth was lookin at ya". He laughed and walked back into the cabin, leaving Daryl to stare after him. He followed reluctantly inside, knowing Beth was going to ask him what he and Rick had talked about. And he had no idea what he was going to say. He remembered in the fourth grade a girl had given him a note with the words. "Do you like me? " And suddenly he knew exactly what he was going to do. He smiled to himself, walking back into the cabin and closing the door.

**Hi everyone! Thanks again for all the reviews. I can't believe I just finished chapter 16! When I first started writing I thought I might get out 5 chapters and that would be it but this story is honestly writing itself. The characters just have sprung to life on their own. Of course, the show is WAY better but hey I have to have something to keep me busy while Daryl and Beth are apart. Haha. Let me know what you think. Feedback is greatly appreciated. Until next time! **


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Beth watched Daryl and Rick surreptitiously out the window absently nodding and murmuring appropriate responses to Carl and Lily. While everyone had been out hunting, the teens had gone in the attic and found a big trunk full of clothes. They pretty much had everything they would need clothing while for a good long bit. Beth had picked out a few things for herself. She blushed thinking about the black silk panties she had found. They even still had the tag attached. Everyone had made whooping sounds when she had pulled them out. She played like she was going to wear them, being goofy, and then threw them on Lily's head.

Now she was trying to figure out just what Rick was saying to Daryl. She watched them do that awkward hand clapping on the back thing that guys always did. Why they couldn't just admit that they liked hugs, she would never know. The hug that she had seen exchanged between Rick and Daryl had been more fitting. No holding back, just genuine happy that the other is alive kind of hug. And in the world they lived in, it was even more important to say how you felt and express it as often as possible.

She was suddenly convinced that they were being stupid dancing around this whole issue. She needed to talk to him. Just the two of them. She was trying to plot a way they could be together alone when he and Daryl came walking back into the cabin. She turned to look at the kids still going through the trunk, pulling out books and reading the titles to each other. They were cute, those two, she thought watching them.

Daryl walked back in the cabin instantly seeking out Beth's location. She was standing at the window. Carl and the girl were all excited going through an old trunk. Carl handed him a couple of flannel shirts. He grunted his appreciation and picked up one of the books. It was an old notebook. Somebody had written in the first few pages but he guessed that it would do for what he had in mind.

He looked over at Beth and she caught his stare and smiled at him. Carl and Lily were laughing and throwing some kind of black fabric at each other. Carl missed catching it and it landed on Beth. Beth snatched it away and threw it back. Before Daryl could stop himself, he reached up and caught it in his hand. The material was soft and caught just slightly on the roughness of his hands. He held it out and recognized that it was silk panties, the kind that girls wore when they wanted to seduce their men. There really wasn't much to them, they had two scraps of thin fabric attached by two strings on either side. He looked over at Beth with them still in his hand. He was picturing what Beth would look like wearing them. He suddenly became aware that every eye in the room was on him. It was totally unlike him to engage in banter with everyone. He thought he must look like the biggest idiot standing there with the ridiculous garment in his hand. He flung it back in the trunk like it had suddenly burned him and grabbed up the notebook and stalked off. "What's wrong, ain't ya'll ever seen underwear before?" Carl and Lily laughed.

Not that he was trying to be hateful, but he had liked it better when it was just him and Beth. He knew he had behaved like an ass just now but damn if he didn't put himself in an awkward situation. Why the hell he had reached up to catch it he would never know. If only this cabin had more rooms. When it had been just the two of them, they had settled into their own pace. They woke up in each other's arms, usually ending up staying in the bed for quite a long time. Then they usually got up and went hunting. It was easier finding game in the morning and nothing motivated a person like a growling stomach. Daryl realized that this cabin had become "theirs". It had started to feel like home to them. Daryl had never really had a home before. Houses, sure. But a place with someone to come home to, to share your day with, share meals with and feel such a strong connection with, and not to mention that the sex was amazing.

He had never really given much thought to sex before. I mean sure he'd banged his share of chicks in the past. But Beth wasn't a chick. She wasn't just any girl. He had never really even gone down on a girl like he did with Beth. The girls he had been with in the past hadn't been worth his time. He knew how to do it, was good at it, but those girls Merle was always bringing home were skanks and little more than crack whores. Beth paled in comparison to anyone he had ever known. Sex wasn't even sex with her. It was so much more. He just wanted to kiss every inch of her and never let her go. He guessed that's what all the movies and books talked about. He scoffed at himself. He was starting to sound "like a damn romance novel". He remembered saying that one time to Maggie and Glenn. Those two were together constantly. Back at the prison, he had caught them more than once doing the deed, he remembered smiling. Hell if his emotions weren't all over the damn place today. He thought about the notebook in his hand and walked back outside after grabbing a pen out of his pack. Remembering his idea, he hesitated once he was outside alone. He sat down on the steps and thought about what he wanted to do. The idea had taken form in his mind after talking with Rick. He had wished there was some way he could tell Beth how he felt without having to say actual words. He was no good at this shit at all. But he wanted to be with Beth. Wanted it more than anything he ever had. And Rick was right. Beth was going to demand more of him than anyone ever had. Strange thing was, he wanted to be that man she wanted. He wanted to be the person she thought she saw every time she looked at him, her bright crystal blue eyes blazing like she saw the sun rise and shine on his face.

Daryl opened the book and tore out the pages that someone had written in and poised the pen over the paper. He had never done anything like this before and he had no idea what he was doing. But he was going to try.

He wasn't going to write any corny crap like "Dear Diary". Screw that. He'd read enough books and seen enough movies to know how something like that worked though. So he just went with it.

_I don't know how to tell her how I feel. She just gets me somehow._

He crossed that out and tried again.

_I have no idea how to tell her how I feel. I used to think about her all the time at the prison. Just watching her with lil Ass Kicker and how good she is with her. How she takes care of everyone. How sexy she looked when she was concentrating on something. The look she got on her face when she was writing in her diary. I wished I knew what she was writing about. I used to love this old GNR song "Patience". I think it fits here somehow. It makes me think of Beth and our situation._

_"Shed a tear cuz Im missing you I'm still alright to smile. Girl I think about you every day now. Was a time when I wasn't sure, but you set my mind at ease. There is no doubt you're in my heart now._

_Said woman take it slow and it'll work itself out fine. All we need is just a little patience. Said sugar make it slow and we'll come together fine. All we need is just a little patience._

_Sit here on the stairs cuz I'd rather be alone. If I can't have you right now, I'll wait here. Sometimes I get so tense but I cant speed up the time. You know there's one more thing to consider._

_Said woman take it slow and it'll work itself out fine. All we need is just a little patience. Said sugar make it slow and we'll come together fine. All we need is just a little patience."_

Daryl read back over what he had written and figured that was about as good as he was going to get it said. The idea he had was hopefully going to do two things. Number one, he still owed her an apology for reading her diary. Number two and most important, this would hopefully tell her how he felt. Now he had to figure out a time to give it to her. He needed time alone with her. He figured he'd get her to go out with him later after everyone was asleep. He folded the flimsy book in half and tucked into the back of his pants.

Beth wondered where Daryl was going. She had looked at him in horror as he had caught the panties his hand. She watched as recognition danced across his features. When he met her eyes he looked like he could just devour her where she was standing. It wasn't hard to figure out that he wished she was wearing them. She saw him head outside with the notebook he had grabbed out of the trunk and was instantly curious about what he was doing. She busied herself with fixing a simple lunch for everyone wracking her brain of what on earth Daryl Dixon would want with an old notebook.

* * *

Everyone had spent the day playing cards and gathering everything they needed for their journey the next morning. They had all seen the signs for Sanctuary Station, wherever that was. They all agreed that it was the best chance they had of finding the rest of their group and that was if they were lucky. Daryl shuddered a bit thinking about the alternative of that thought. They cooked up the rest of the squirrel and everyone fixed plates and sat down in each corner of the room that everyone had claimed. After everyone finished eating and cleaning up, everyone readied for sleep. By tacit agreement they had given Beth, Jenna and Lily the bed. Carl was sleeping by the window on the sleeping bag from Daryl's pack. Rick was sleeping on one end of the couch and Daryl was pretending to be asleep on the other. He didn't think everyone would ever fall asleep. Rick had fallen asleep almost immediately. Carl followed soon after. He couldn't tell whether or not Jenna and the girl, Lily he remembered, were asleep yet.

Beth laid down on the end of the bed. It was cramped with all of them, but it was fine. It was a little chilly out tonight so they could use the extra body heat. She tossed and turned. She could not sleep. She looked across the room at Daryl trying to gauge if he was sleeping or not. Suddenly she saw him get up and motion for her to follow him outside. She grabbed the blanket she was using off the bed and tiptoed outside with him, closing the door silently behind her. He sat down on the top step. He had pulled that notebook out from behind him, under his leather vest he always wore. She looked at him puzzled. What was he up to?

Daryl sat down on the steps and motioned for Beth to sit next to him. He thought everyone inside was asleep but the truth was, the day had passed so damn slowly that he didn't really care who knew what they were up to. He looked over at Beth wrapped in the red fleece blanket.

Beth pulled the blanket from her shoulders and moved closer to him so she could wrap the blanket around both of them. It had become like this with them. Just comfortable with each other. A touch here, a whisper there. A soft kiss pressed to her forehead when he thought she was asleep. She smiled tenderly at him. He had a tiny flashlight that she guessed he had found in the house somewhere. He handed her the book and the flashlight wordlessly. "Daryl, what is this?" she smiled.

"It's an apology. For reading your diary". He said gruffly. He was staring at the steps his dark brown hair falling over his face, hiding his expression.

She took the flashlight and read over the words he had scrawled on the pages.

_I have no idea how to tell her how I feel. I used to think about her all the time at the prison. Just watching her with lil Ass Kicker and how good she is with her. How she takes care of everyone. How sexy she looked when she was concentrating on something. The look she got on her face when she was writing in her diary. I wished I knew what she was writing about. I used to love this old GNR song "Patience". I think it fits here somehow. It makes me think of Beth and our situation._

_"Shed a tear cuz Im missing you I'm still alright to smile. Girl I think about you every day now. Was a time when I wasn't sure, but you set my mind at ease. There is no doubt you're in my heart now._

_Said woman take it slow and it'll work itself out fine. All we need is just a little patience. Said sugar make it slow and we'll come together fine. All we need is just a little patience._

_Sit here on the stairs cuz I'd rather be alone. If I can't have you right now, I'll wait here. Sometimes I get so tense but I can't speed up the time. You know there's one more thing to consider._

_Said woman take it slow and it'll work itself out fine. All we need is just a little patience. Said sugar make it slow and we'll come together fine. All we need is just a little patience."_

Reading over the words, she realized that she knew the song. Her brother Shawn used to sing it all the time. He loved that band. Beth loved all kinds of music and it was always a big part of their family growing up. Music was like a balm to her soul. She loved singing, loved playing the piano. She read back over the words twice. She kept getting stuck on the "in your heart" part. Was he trying to say what she thought he was? She looked up at him with unshed tears in her eyes. She knew that it had taken a lot for him to write all this. She knew then he was truly sorry for reading her diary. Funny thing was, Beth no longer cared that he had read her diary. If he hadn't read it, they might still be exchanging awkward glances and worrying about each time their hands accidentally touched. Now they were….lovers, she guessed. She still blushed at the word, but honestly she couldn't ask for a better lover than him. She was gradually getting used to everything physical. One thing she had figured out about him, he liked to touch; her specifically. Which was fine with her. She liked to touch too. She was a very physical person and Daryl was teaching her how to expand that physicality. She flushed thinking about how it felt when he was lying on top of her and they were joined together, pounding out a rhythm until they both fell apart together. She leaned over and closed her eyes and pressed her lips to him.

Daryl could taste the tears that were now flowing freely down her cheeks. He pulled back. "I didn't mean ta make ya cry". He said, brushing his thumb down over her cheeks as if to gather up all her tears. God women confused the hell out of him.

"It's okay Daryl. It's happy kind of tears. I don't care any more that you read my diary. I haven't even written in it since we got here, " she explained further. "I can be patient with you Daryl" she said, emphasizing the words carefully while looking into his eyes. She wanted him to know that she knew how he felt about her. She did now. She knew that no one had ever done anything even remotely romantic like this for her before.

Daryl relaxed as soon as she said that. He guessed it wasn't as hopeless as he once thought, this telling her how he felt. "Glad to hear it Princess. It'll work out fine" he said, repeating some of the lyrics. She handed the book back to him.

He pushed it back to her "It's yours" he said.

"Nope," she shook her head smiling. "You keep it. You never know when you might need it again" she said grinning at him knowingly. If this was the only way he could tell her how he felt, she would take it.

He took the book from her wordlessly and placed it back behind him. He moved his hand up to grasp the back of her head, pulling her to him and pressing his lips to hers, opening his mouth and teasing her lips open with the tip of his tongue. She allowed him entrance and flicked her tongue over his, capturing his bottom lip between her teeth just slightly.

Beth suddenly remembered one of the reasons that she wanted to be alone with Daryl. She was wearing a pair of shorts and t-shirt. She pulled away from him to open the blanket slightly. She stood up and pulled just the top of her waistband down, revealing the black silk of the panties. She had gone back to the trunk when no one was looking and claimed them for her own.

Daryl's eyes widened and then narrowed into dark blue pools of sheer burning want. He eased her shorts off her hips, letting them fall to the steps. He let his eyes travel over her hips and grasped her ass pulling her against him and settling her onto his lap, relishing the feeling of the soft silk sliding against the hard fabric of his jeans. He wrapped the blanket around them again and pulled her into his arms, lowering his mouth to hers, thinking that he didn't know what he had ever done to deserve her. He knew the answer was nothing. He had done nothing to deserve her, but she was all his. His Beth.

She felt dizzy as he kissed her tenderly and grabbed her ass. She loved how he looked at her. She was really glad she had thought to get the panties. If this was how he looked at her wearing sexy underwear she was going to have to find more on their next run. Frivolous maybe, but all this was new to her. She just wanted to please him in every way.

A little dazed by their whole situation, the notebook and the song lyrics he had written out while thinking about her, she had the sudden thought that her Daryl was a hopeless romantic. She never would have thought it. Beth's last thought before his lips claimed hers again was that she wasn't sure the world was ready for this side of Daryl Dixon. But she couldn't wait to find out.

**Hey everyone! Thank you, thank you for the reviews. You guys make a girl blush! I am glad everyone is enjoying it. I am so afraid I am going to disappoint everyone. What do you guys think about the whole Daryl writing in the notebook thing. I just had to come up with a way that he could say what he wanted to say but without actually saying the words….yet! He isn't ready for that. And their relationship isn't ready for it just yet either. They are still defining what they have. I hope Daryl doesn't seem too OOC. I tried to capture how they were feeling for each other in the house in Alone. It was obvious in that episode that he was feeling something for her even if he didn't know what it was. All in all, I am happy with how this chapter turned out. It's a pivotal point in the story, for Daryl and Beth, for Carl and Lily. And in some ways for Rick and Jenna too. Yes, I am going there! Hope you will like their story too. It's going to be really beautiful. Okay so feedback folks, pretty please and with a cherry on top? I crave your reviews. I need to know that I am not writing this just for myself. Should I continue?I want to thank you all for following me. I officially have 152 followers now. You guys are the absolute best. Whoop whoop. And I reached 100 views today! Yay! Until next time! Xoxoxoxo **


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

They had been on the road for a couple of days now. They figured out that before the turn Liam had been a nurse. He had been going to nurse practitioner school when it all happened. His extensive medical training was already proving to be more than helpful. He had bandaged up Rick's shoulder where he had been shot at the prison. He had also deemed Beth's ankle fit to travel on, but Beth knew that. She had gotten a lot of training from her Daddy when he was a vet. Then when they had been at the prison he had taught her a lot more, so in case anything ever happened to him they would have somebody with some kind of medical training. They had never thought that it would come to pass though. And now Daddy was gone. Beth missed him so much but she knew he was in a better place with her mom and Shawn. When the prison had fallen and it had just been her and Daryl on the road, in all of her crying, she had almost been envious that he no longer had to deal with this walker infested world they lived in. And then when she had been kidnapped, it just kind of sparked a fire in her that she wanted to live. Some days, they didn't know why they were trying so hard to survive. She guessed it was just some innate instinct to want to live or die trying.

And now that she was with Daryl it made her want to live even more. She wanted to explore every single thing she was feeling towards him. She glanced over at them as they walked. She thought back to the night before when he had given her the notebook. It was such a beautiful thing he had done. She didn't even think he realized just how romantic it was. They had stayed out on the porch steps, making out and exploring each other. She felt a familiar ache in her pelvis at the thought of Daryl running his hands over her and delving his hand into her new blank panties. The sight of him pulling his finger out after she had climaxed and inserting it into his mouth and licking off every bit of evidence of her arousal. He had looked at her and grinned that half smile, half smirk he had with his eyes crinkling up just a bit. "Mmm, you taste good princess". He had murmured. He caught her looking at him as they walked and he winked at her. She looked at him with her jaw dropped open. Did Daryl Dixon just wink at her? It was endearing, she thought. She smiled at him and blushed, dropping her gaze and tucking a stray strand behind her ear. She had redone her ponytail this morning. She knew he liked it down, but it just wasn't practical for the road. She had put her braid back in the ponytail. She didn't know why she liked it, but it just made her feel better having the braid in; like a reminder of their formal life. A whimsical reminder of a whimsical time. Because their life on the farm, while it had been hard work she knew she had an idyllic childhood.

The terrain was rough. They had gone back to the tracks to follow them to this sanctuary place. Daryl thought to himself that it better be all it promised on the signs. They had passed two more of them over the past day or so. Daryl knew this track they were following had an end of the line way up in the top of the state. From what he guessed they had at least another two days hike. Finding appropriate shelter for night time was becoming increasingly difficult. Last night, they had stayed in an old abandoned police station. It looked like it had been overrun before. He tried not to draw the parallel in his mind with the prison. They had really started making a home there. He thought of the governor and was instantly reminded of the evil that this world housed now. And with the anarchy that ensued, there was not a whole lot anybody could do except kill or be killed. In an odd way, it wasn't that much different than the life he had led before. Wandering all around with Merle, picking up an odd job here or there, getting hooch in the evening and finding women where they could. At least now his life had a purpose. He was a more productive member of society now than he had been his whole life.

They kept walking along the tracks every once in a while Beth singing softly to make the time pass. She didn't sing too loudly. It was too risky. They had had to dispatch a bunch of walkers a few miles back. A herd had gotten stuck in the tracks where all the mud was. It had created a kind of trap. So to get through them, they had had to dig in and make quick work of getting rid of them. Beth had watched Jenna as she approached each walker. There was a ferocity in her eyes when she went after one. She usually kicked them to the ground first with a roundhouse thrust of her foot to their chest, usually the gooey red-black walker blood splattering everywhere. Then when they were down she brought the scythe down on their head, splitting it open. She sure knew how to wield that thing. And watching her it was clear that she had some kind of martial arts training. She was focused and serious when she was killing them, never even uttering a sound, except for the occasional rough huff of breath as she exhaled and brought down the scythe with a sickening force. Beth wasn't afraid of Jenna. Rather she was intrigued by her. She wanted to learn how to deliver forceful blows like her and wanted to learn how to kick like she did. Watching her kill walkers was almost like watching a dance.

Daryl was sick and damn tired of killing walkers. He was absolutely bone tired by the time they came to the next town. They had to deviate from the tracks a bit to find shelter for the night. They walked through the town expecting it to be overrun and it was, but not as bad as some places they had been to. He guessed the closer they got to the end of the line, the more sparse the towns and therefore the less walkers there were. They dispensed with the few walkers that were wandering the streets. It was one of those one main street towns. They found a bed and breakfast on the main strip. It was gorgeous and with the approaching fall, the trees were turning into a kaleidoscope of autumn gold, burnt orange and a brilliant red in the leaves on the trees. There was a crisp feeling in the air. With each cooler day and even cooler night, it became more urgent in all their minds that they needed to find a place to stay for winter.

They walked in the bed and breakfast and they split into teams to clear it. They then began the process of gathering what boards and pieces of furniture they could and nailed the windows and doors on the first floor shut and barricading what they couldn't board up with furniture. There was plenty of it. It was all antique and it was a shame, Beth thought, but it wasn't like they could really help it. Everyone then set about to find food and their place to sleep for the night.

There were four bedrooms total. Rick and Carl took the one downstairs, which they guessed from the personal effects in the room that it had been the caretakers' room. The rest of the bedrooms were upstairs. It was decided that Jenna and Lily would sleep in one room. It had two double beds, tall canopy style. Liam took the room at the top of the stairs with the big heart shaped bed. They all teased him relentlessly about it asking him where his girlfriend was. He was completely unaffected by their goading. He was so tired he felt like he could sleep for a week. He noticed how everyone kept looking at Jenna. And he didn't know why. She so wasn't his type. Plus the girl seriously had issues, he thought. She barely spoke to anyone and watching her kill walkers was almost downright scary. She was one terrifying force to be reckoned with. And besides that, he had seen how Rick kept looking at her like she was something to eat. He grinned. Yep, he didn't think Rick even knew how much it showed on his face when he looked at Jenna. And Beth and the crossbow guy, Daryl. Well those two eye-fucked each other about every five minutes. They seemed to think that no one knew what they were up to. But it was obvious to him what was going on. They were actually very compatible with one another. He would never have paired them together if it wasn't the freakin end of the world, but somehow they just fit. Liam saw the way Daryl looked at Beth. It reminded him of how his dad used to look at his mom. He had a momentary pain thinking about his parents and then yelled "Cowabunga" running to the bed and jumping onto it. What he didn't count on was the silk sheets being slippery as hell and he went sliding over the side of the bed landing on the floor with a thud. Lily and Carl were in the doorway doubled over laughing at him. "Man, you should have seen that!" Carl exclaimed. "It was like watching a cartoon" he guffawed. His sister was laughing too. He got up, rubbing his hand over his sore back side and sent a warning look to Lily. "Paybacks Lily" he warned. She just laughed and stuck out her tongue at him her and Carl skipping back down the steps.

Beth wandered on down the hall laughing at the light hearted mood everyone was in. There were two rooms left and she intended to take the one on the right. It was filled with pinks and roses and white fluffy pillows. She couldn't imagine Daryl sleeping in this room. There was another right across the hall filled with antique furniture and decorated in deep browns and creamy beige. As she went to walk into the pink room, Daryl grabbed her arm and pulled her into his room with him. She looked up at him surprised. "Daryl, somebody might see us" she hissed. She didn't care but she knew he did.

He pulled her over to the bed, a look on his face she had seen many times before. "I don't care anymore who knows. Rick already knows. Carl and Lily are just kids and that Jenna chick probably couldn't care less what is going on around here" he remarked kicking the door closed. He wasn't trying to be mean, but really Daryl was starting to get the strong conviction that it was no one's damn business what was going on with him and Beth.

Beth looked up at him surprised and relief washed over her features. She knew that it had bothered him before. She felt a renewed sense of purpose and a sense of pride that he was willing to tell the world about them.

"You're mine" he whispered to her as he lowered his lips to hers. "And I don't care who knows it" he ran his hands over her arms and entwined her fingers with his. He swept her up suddenly and carried her over to the bed.

Beth giggled and clasped her hands behind his head, relishing the feeling of him carrying her to the bed. "Yes, yours", she agreed breathily. He sat her down gently and then collapsed on the bed beside her, wrapping her in his arms and holding her tight. Daryl thought as he held her in his arms that he never wanted to let her go. The whole world outside could go to hell at that moment and Daryl wouldn't care. His girl was in his arms and that was the only thing that mattered.

**Okay guys, here is the next chapter. I am hoping to get another chapter out tonight in case I don't get to write tomorrow night. I have to work all weekend again. Blahhhh, real life keeps getting in the way. Thanks for the reviews, I am still working on responding to everyone's posts. Let me know what you guys think. I tried to give you a glimpse of Jenna and Liam. But of course the real story here is Bethyl. So what do you think. Thanks everyone! Xoxoxoxo **


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Jenna came out of the room she and Lily shared just in time to see Daryl pull Beth into the door and shut it behind them. Lucky bastards, she thought. She really needed to get laid. It had been forever. The last group she had been with, she had a guy she did from time to time that is until he got killed by a walker out on a run. She didn't even cry when he died. The last time she had cried was when her parents died.

After that, she had started losing so many people one right after the other and it was too hard to mourn each one that passed. It reminded her a lot of when Justin had died. She had not been sorry, not at all. She had actually been glad. She had just finally gotten away from him after six years of living hell. He had beaten her every single night sometimes more than once. But that was nothing compared to the repeated emotional abuse he heaped upon her. Add to that the fact that she never got to "choose" when they made love and well, it was the perfect recipe for battered women's syndrome. It sickened her to think of the woman she used to be. Weak, vulnerable. After she had taken two years of martial arts classes and gotten her black belt and trained in special weapons classes, she finally got the courage to leave Justin. She had gone to a halfway house, relocated and everything. Justin had come after her anyway, just like she always knew he would. But this time he wasn't battering a woman, his wife. He ended up battling a warrior. He had started to hit her and he never even got in one hit or kick. She had decimated him completely. She had pounded his face into the ground and kicked his ribs in until he no longer breathed.

When the police got there, they were not quite sure what to think or say or do. The fact that he had broken into her apartment and there was sufficient evidence to prove it, it was ruled self-defense instead of murder. And just like that, her old life was done. She never took the time to figure out if she was sorry or not. When the tears never came and she never broke down, Jenna figured the person she used to be was long gone. And she no longer cared if she ever felt anything for anyone again, especially with the whole world gone to shit, she thought. She wished like hell she had a cigarette right now. She wondered if Daryl had any. He looked like he might be the type to smoke. She thought on the pair of them. He was hot, that was for sure. But he still wasn't really her type. She didn't figure blondie for the type to go for somebody like Daryl. He looked like he had been around the bend a few times. But to each his own, she thought. She thought for the second time how lucky they were.

* * *

Daryl was very busy behind that closed door. He was presently in the bathroom with Beth and they were washing each other off with the water they had found under the sink. It wasn't a great bath, but it would have to do. They had plugged the sink and added the water to it. Daryl had removed his clothes quickly and then turned to Beth to pull her shirt over her head. She was working on her pants. Beth ran a hand down his arm as the other washed his neck. They had lucked out finding a small sliver of soap on the sink. She turned Daryl around to face the mirror, his face awash with emotions. He had just let his shirt fall to the floor. She had seen them many times before. Even as far back as the prison, Beth had seen the scars on his back. She knew that they were from his father. She knew from the times that they had talked that he had been a mean and abusive drunk. Her daddy had been a drunk before too, but at least he hadn't been mean. She didn't think she could have bore it. She thought back to Daryl's house in Juniper and how he had unleashed his pent up rage on his dead walker father. It had been a brutal and heart-breaking sight to see at the time, but on the crest of washing Daryl's back and touching his scars, that scene with his father paled in comparison. He nodded his head almost imperceptibly as if to give her permission to do what she must. She lightly rubbed the cloth over his back working her way downward. She lovingly touched each scar as she finished cleaning his back. She traced the first one and then moved her hand out of the way to place a soft small kiss on it. She hesitated and barely hovered her lips over his back as she felt him go rigid with fear and apprehension. She waited a breath of a second until she felt him relax under her fingers. She then traced the next one. She continued at this stunted pace; washing his back, running her fingers over each scar, and kissing it. It was as if she was kissing away years of abuse and pain. She knew that it wasn't possible to really do it but she also knew that Daryl had never let anyone touch him in this way. She felt honored. She smiled softly at him in the mirror.

Daryl looked at this beautiful angel in the mirror. Every once in a while she would look at him in the mirror to gauge his response. He had never let anyone touch his scars. He was even reluctant to let people see them. It was just easier to avoid the pitied stares and probing questions. But as he looked at Beth and caught her gaze in the mirror and saw her smiling at him, he just knew that he was done being ashamed of his scars. She was healing him with her hands, with her lips. He just suddenly needed her, like he needed air to breathe. He let her finish washing his back and he turned her around and returned the favor. He trailed the wash cloth over her neck, her breasts bared and she was wearing those damn black silk panties again. He felt himself harden even further. He ran his hands down over her ribs, her thin, lithe body and as he traced his fingers down over her stomach, she arched her back and moaned softly. He watched as Beth hooked her thumbs around the thin strings of the panties, the dark fabric a stark contrast against her milky white skin. She let them fall to the floor and stood before him. She took the washcloth and washed herself off. Something about her touching herself between her legs had Daryl panting heavily. By the time they had finished washing each other, they were both throbbing with need.

Beth felt so sexy with Daryl's heated gaze upon her. He was watching her wash herself. No one had ever watched her bathe before. It was an exhilarating feeling. She could feel herself getting slick as he watched her, running his tongue lightly over his lips. She knew what he was thinking but this time she was determined to give him something he hadn't let her yet. She touched his chest tentatively and replaced her fingers with her mouth, trailing kisses lower over his chest and traveling down over his stomach and even lower. She felt him grab her shoulder and she gently shrugged it off, peeking up at him between her thick eyelashes. She smiled at him and whispered, "Daryl, just let me please. I want to do for you what you do for me". She continued spreading kisses down over him until she was on her knees, hovering just over him and taking him into her hand. She began stroking the length of him up and down instinctively. She moved her mouth over him and felt him draw in a harsh breath. She waited for a moment making sure he was liking what she was doing. She felt him kneading his hands through her hair. She smiled as he took out her hair tie. She bet he had wanted to do that for days. She knew he liked her hair down.

He was breathing pretty fast, so she took him into her mouth all the way and moved her head up and down, licking with her tongue along the shaft and sucking lightly. Daryl was breathing heavily and gripping her hair lightly in his palms. "God, Beth, where the hell did you learn how to do that?" he asked. Sure he'd had a blow job before, but nothing like this. Watching her head bob up and down over his hard cock was surely the best thing he had ever felt in his life. Something about the soft blonde of her hair flowing down and resting against his thighs was an enormous turn on. She set a pace that was driving him absolutely wild with desire. All he really wanted to do at the moment was bury himself deep inside her. And he told her so. "Princess I gotta be inside you." He said.

Never one to deny him what he wanted she stood up and smiling, she took his hand and led him back to the bedroom and laid down beside him on the bed. She hoped she wasn't pressing her luck with him tonight but there was something else she wanted to try with him. This bed and breakfast had been a real find. They might not get another chance any time soon. She tried not to think about the fact that they might not get another chance at all.

She climbed on top of him and straddled him, lowering herself over him. She knew she was wet enough to accommodate him and she plunged herself over him, both of them moaning in relief, feeling him fill her up inside. She placed her hands on his chest and moved herself up and down. She began to circle her hips around as she ground herself into him.

Daryl reached up between them and pushed her back ever so slightly so she was leaning backwards. She moved her hands behind her and gripped them on his knees. He groaned; she had just supplied him with a nice view of his cock sliding in and out of her tight pussy. His eyes narrowed even further as she rode him hard. He reached up and rubbed his finger over her clit and he heard her breath hitch. Her head was thrown back while she was grinding away. He could tell by the way her breathing quickened and her back arched that she was really close. He met her thrust for thrust. He felt the instant she climaxed; she tightened around him, the spasms rocking her body and that movement sent him right over the edge of his own release. He moaned her name as he came. "Beth". It was a whisper, it was a plea. It was a promise.

Beth collapsed on top of Daryl trying to catch her breath. She looked down at him smiling and laughed as he rolled them both over, cuddling her from behind and pulling the blanket over them. She wondered how loud they had gotten. The bed wasn't exactly quiet but being so caught up in the moment she hadn't worried about it. Beth suddenly had a niggling feeling that something was missing and at the same time that something was different. She realized in horror that she had not done what Daryl had always done for her. She had not pulled herself off of him before he climaxed. She could tell that he had definitely not pulled out. She worried briefly about pregnancy. She was just wondering if she should tell him when he sat up ramrod straight cursing. "Dammit I am an idiot" He railed, turning to look at her. He put his arm over his forehead, clearly pained.

Daryl had just realized that he didn't get to pull himself out of her on time. She had thrown him off by going down on him and then riding him like she did. He had gotten so caught up in it that he had forgotten.

Beth looked at him and knew in an instant what he was thinking. "Daryl it's okay. I don't even know when my last period was" she said hoping that would soothe his fears.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" he shouted.

Suddenly the door burst open surprising both of them. It was Jenna. "Uh sorry," At least she had the good grace to look a little embarrassed.

"Get the hell outa here" Daryl yelled at her.

"Sorr-y!" she yelled back. "Thought I was saving your life. In case you hadn't noticed, we are in the midst of the end of the world. Couldn't hurt you to be a little grateful." She yelled back at Daryl and stomped off slamming the door behind her.

Daryl turned back to look at Beth who had been desperately trying to cover herself with the blanket. "Think Beth," Daryl was trying to calm down. There was no sense in getting Beth all upset about it. He would figure this out. He couldn't bear the thought of hurting her. Something about Beth being pregnant didn't set well with him. He didn't think it would set well with the rest of the group either. He suddenly felt extremely irresponsible. "When do you remember your last period?" He asked her.

Beth took her lip between her teeth, thinking hard. She really couldn't remember. Ever since they had left the farm, everything had been screwed up. She honestly didn't know when it was. She shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "I have no idea. I'm sorry Daryl." She looked so sad sitting there, clutching the blanket against her.

Daryl softened instantly seeing the expression on her face. He took her into his arms and whispered to her "It's gonna be fine." He stated, although he didn't know how the hell he was going to keep that oath. It wasn't her fault, he reminded himself. The thought of anything happening to her sent him into a panic. Pregnancy in these days and times could be a death sentence, for everyone involved. He shuddered, remembering when Lori had died. He didn't think Rick would ever be the same after that. He was coming around now but there for awhile he thought he was going to lose it. Honestly, Daryl couldn't blame him one bit. If he put himself in Rick's shoes, Daryl didn't know if he could be as strong as Rick had remained. No, he couldn't lose her. Not when he had just found her.

Beth sighed into Daryl's chest, and changed the subject on him. "So Daryl, how did you like what I did for you in the bathroom" she said saucily. Daryl looked at her with that half smile and half smirk. The little minx. She knew exactly what she was doing. Allowing himself to be swayed for the moment he indulged her. "Oh yeah, that" he teased in mock exasperation. She playfully swatted at him and he laughed. "Yeah, it was great princess. The best thing I have ever felt".

Beth beamed under his gaze. He looked at her like she had the answers to the world in her eyes. She didn't know what she deserved to have him look at her like that but she felt so lucky. This was what all those novels she had snuck from her mom's dresser drawer had talked about. This feeling. And it wasn't just the sex. Sure she had never done anything with anyone before, but she instinctively knew that what she and Daryl had was special. She laid her head down on his chest and felt him run his hand over her flat stomach. "I hope you're not pregnant Princess" he said matter of fact. "If you are, we'll handle it. We've made it this far." He stated.

Beth covered his hand with her own and sighed. She wasn't sure how she felt about having a child. She looked at baby Judith and felt that tug at her heart strings, but she was scared too. It was an uncertain world they lived in. She wasn't sure if a baby would bring a blessing to their scary new world or if it would be a curse. She secretly thought that Daryl would make a great daddy. As she thought about this, she looked up at him and grinned. "Daddy Dixon" she teased. She swore she thought she saw the corners of his mouth turned up just a little at that. For now, it was enough.

**Hi everyone, yay chapter 19 is finished. We are almost to 20! I had a hard time writing this one. There was a lot of emotion in it. A lot of feelings. A lot of wondering. Kind of like we are all feeling waiting for the season 4 season finale right!? So let me know how you like it. Or if you don't like it. You guys are awesome. Thanks for making me feel special. Xoxoxoxo **


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Jenna couldn't believe the nerve of him yelling at her. She had only been trying to save his and his girlfriend's ass. She had been ready to fight and instead she was greeted with the two of them, clearly having done the deed. Blondie had definite "sex hair". And both of them looked like they had been well and truly fucked. Jenna had apologized only because she wasn't embarrassed that she had caught them. It was more because she was jealous and imagining her and, God help her, Rick doing the same thing. She had been instantly pissed and had taken extreme satisfaction in slamming the door shut. She was still fuming when she walked back downstairs. She walked out onto the porch and wished again for a cigarette. Before they left this crap-hole town the next morning she was going to find some cigarettes. Screw thinking she was gonna get bit or killed by one of the face-eaters. She was more worried at the moment that she was going to die by her own hand because the people that she was traveling with were driving her insane. Carl and Lily were fine enough. They were just kids. Daryl was always growling at someone one minute and making goo-goo eyes at Beth the next. If nobody else in their group saw it, they had to be blind and stupid, she thought. Beth was so sweet and nice that Jenna found it hard to hate her and at the same time, she just knew that no one could be that nice all the time. She kept waiting for her to flip out and go off on somebody. If she was Beth, she sure as hell would go off on Daryl.

She had no idea what had come over her imagining her and Rick. In bed. Together. She shook her head trying to dislodge the erotic images from her mind. Where the hell had that come from, she wondered. I mean, he was definitely some serious eye candy with his soft brown tousled curls, crystal blue eyes and ruggedly handsome features. But he looked damage to her eye. She had seen his type before. Besides that, he was a widow and had two kids, to boot. Well that was if the baby had survived. Jenna might be a bitch but she didn't have the heart to tell these people that that poor baby was most likely gone from this world. Jenna decided that Rick was off limits. Emotionally that is. She still wanted to screw him. She was definitely determined that she was going to make that happen. She wondered what drew her to him. He had a southern drawl that she absolutely loved and he was sexy beyond words. Yeah she had a few ideas of what she could do with that cowboy, she thought with a grin. And speak of the devil, Rick walked out onto the porch and stood against the banister, surveying the streets around the bed and breakfast.

Rick had seen Jenna go outside and he had to admit that it was sheer curiosity about Beth and Daryl that led him out there. Lori would have been proud. She was always the matchmaker in their marriage. She had gotten many of their friends together. She had gotten Shane and his old girlfriend together. Rick couldn't help it. He was really starting to warm to the idea of Beth and Daryl as a couple. Don't get him wrong, there was no way he wanted to be anywhere near either of them when Maggie found out. But there was something very right about those two being together. He had heard Daryl yelling upstairs and from what he gathered, Jenna had walked in on them. Rick wasn't a pervert or anything, he just wondered what Daryl had gotten so worked up about. "Everything okay" he asked Jenna, glancing sideways at her, still surveying the area.

"Yeah fine. Why" she said nonchalantly. She was busying herself with sharpening her scythe. Rick was a pretty good judge of character; he didn't get to be sheriff without knowing his way around people and what made them tick. He could tell that though Jenna tried to come off as an ice queen, underneath all that she was a good woman. He had seen some scars on her wrists, looked like ligature marks to him. She had definitely been tied up at some point and for a long time judging by the prominence of the scars. He had also seen a scar on the side of her neck just at her hairline behind her ear. He had seen it when she was pulling up her hair one day. It was a clean line, probably made by a straight edged blade of some kind. Sometimes Rick hated that he was such a good cop; had been such a good cop, he corrected himself.

Rick propped one leg up on the banister, resting his arms on the railing. "Sounds like there was quite a tussle upstairs." He remarked.

"So?" Man she wasn't biting. He had to hand it to her. She had nerves of steel and she had her frosty stare down to a science. He resisted the urge to smile at her. He looked right at her deep into her eyes. It was a trick he sometimes tried with perps.

Jenna glanced away from Rick. Why was he staring at her so intently. She subconsciously smoothed her hand over her hair pushing an imaginary strand behind her ear. "They were screwing. I walked in. Not much else to say", she gestured widely with her hand. What was wrong with her, she wondered. She paced across to the other side of the porch. She absently asked Rick "Do you have any cigarettes?" Where had that come from? She was getting increasingly frustrated.

He pulled a pack out of the inside of his jacket pocket. She looked up at him, simultaneously surprised and relieved that he actually had some. She almost salivated looking at them. He shook one out of the open, but nearly full pack and handed it to her. He pulled a lighter out of his pocket and offered it to her. She put the cigarette between her lips and leaned over while Rick lit the tip. She closed her eyes and took a long drag, pulling the rich flavor into her lungs, savoring each and every molecule of smoke. She exhaled slowly and opened her eyes. It was as if someone flipped a switch on inside her. She regained her composure. "I didn't know you smoked" she said.

Rick fingered the pack of cigarettes and put them back inside his jacket. "I don't" he smiled at her knowingly. Jenna gave him a puzzled glance and he laughed. "I used to smoke. Ever since I quit 10 years ago, I buy a pack and keep it on me. It's a test to see if I can resist temptation. I usually end up giving the pack away, but then I will go buy another one and carry it with me again." He explained.

Jenna was truly intrigued. "Ever smoked one yourself" she asked him, taking another drag off of the cigarette. She was enjoying every puff, dreading when it was done, because she knew she was just going to want another one. She had asked for it only jokingly. She would never ask it knowing if someone was a smoker. She never wanted to ask anyone for anything. Not ever again.

"Nope, never. Something about having it in my pocket constantly, it's like a reminder that I don't really need it" he said, patting his jacket where the pack rested.

Jenna was truly impressed. She thought that it took a lot of self restraint to carry a pack of cigarettes with you and not smoke it. She didn't think she could do it. It had always been her one vice. Well that and whiskey sours. Dare she wish for someone to be carrying around a flask of whiskey with them. She would settle for that, she thought. She figured Rick must be a pretty strong guy to be able to resist that kind of temptation. She thanked him for the cigarette and wondered fleetingly if he would be strong enough to resist her. Because when Jenna decided she wanted something, she went for it. And usually, she got it.

Daryl was mentally kicking himself. Beth had fallen asleep in his arms. He was tired as hell but sleep would not come. He kept worrying about whether or not Beth could be pregnant. He honestly did not know why he was obsessing about it. It wasn't the first time he had been in this situation. The only difference was that he didn't care much one way or the other. The kind of girls he had been with in the past never expected anything of him. And Daryl had never expected anything of himself. He guessed the problem was that Beth did expect something of him. And what was more, after being with her, he expected something of himself. It really didn't make any sense to him where all this was coming from. If he had to put any one word to it all, it would be consumption. Because he was consumed with all things Beth. God help him, he wondered, was this what love felt like?

**Hey everybody! I am drowning in feels right now. I cannot believe that tomorrow is the season finale. In honor of the 7 month hiatus, I will be taking a 7 month hiatus from this story…JUST KIDDING! I could never do that. I hope that you are enjoying this Bethyl story. I am sorry that there was not much Bethyl in this chapter, but honestly I am really working towards something with Rick and Jenna. Did you like the scene between them? I can't even say if I know that Beth is going to be ending up pregnant either now or at all. What do you guys think? In case you missed it, I am begging for your input. Review, review, pretty please? Okay guys, until next time! Xoxoxoxo **

**PS- This was Chapter 20 you guys! I never intended for it to be this long, but now I'm just gonna go with it! **


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

**Hey everyone! Okay so I am dying right now and it is only day 1 of the 7 month long hiatus. How will we ever survive? I, for one, am going to get myself hooked on some other shows so I can find another ship until then. And of course, I am going to pour all my Bethyl feels into this and possibly other fan fics. I was going to post a chapter last night but when I went to write it I couldn't get this one story out of my head. It was begging to be written so I did. It's called "Worth the Run" if you are interested. It's a shameless sexy one shot. If you like that sort of thing, please check it out and let me know how it was. So here goes this chapter. **

Beth woke up with the sun streaming just slightly through the windows of the room. It took her a minute to realize that she wasn't at home. The room reminded her so much of her room at the farm house. She wiped at her eyes groggily and sat up. Daryl had gotten up early. He had probably gone hunting she thought. She flopped back onto the bed throwing an arm over her forehead. She and Daryl had fallen asleep cuddling. They had slept nude and just the thought of that sent a thrill through her. When she remembered everything that they had done last night, Beth blushed and smiled at the same time. They had made love several more times that night, their appetites for one another unable to be sated. It was only after sheer physical and mental exhaustion that they were able to finally settle against one another and fell instantly asleep. She pushed down the thoughts that threatened her hard-won happiness; the thoughts about a possible pregnancy. Beth groaned and sat back up, bending over to retrieve her back pack and pulled out jeans, panties and a shirt, dressing quickly. She pulled on her boots and quickly dragged her comb through her hair and expertly wound her long locks into a messy ponytail.

As she descended the stairs to see what everyone was doing, she had the sudden thought that Jenna had seen them last night. She hoped she hadn't told anyone. Rick already knew. She wasn't embarrassed at all, it was just weird. She definitely didn't want Carl finding out. Or Lily. Beth knew she should probably be setting a good example for them but God help her, she was powerless to resist Daryl now that they had started down this road. When she walked into the living area, Carl and Lily were busy playing cards. Liam was sitting on the sofa reading some kind of book and Jenna was sitting on the edge of the arm chair eating peanut butter. She looked up at Beth as she walked into the room and Beth was really unsure what to say so she just said "Hi". Jenna mumbled her hello and went back to her peanut butter. Liam was unable to break his gaze. Beth tried breaking the ice. "Daryl go hunting?" she asked. She didn't see Rick either.

Liam nodded knowing he was staring and he tried to break it but he couldn't get the sounds from last night out of his head. He had been mildly pissed at 2:00 a.m. They had been at it again after he had been asleep for about an hour. His room and theirs backed into one another. He wished he had picked any room but the one he had. Finally another hour later and they were still at it, he gave up and went to the couch. He had finally fallen into a deep sleep when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He had opened his eyes to see Daryl walk into the room and retrieve his bow. He had barked "G'morning" and went to get Rick. They announced that they were going hunting. They asked that he stay there and keep an eye on the women and kids. He had agreed that was a good idea and after they left, sleep was completely out of his grasp. When he had watched Beth walk down the stairs, he couldn't help but envy Daryl. Beth was smoking hot, the lucky bastard.

Beth thought Liam was looking at her strangely until she remembered that their room had been next to his. He probably didn't get any sleep. She blushed and said sheepishly "You look tired. Uh. Sorry about the noise last night".

Carl looked up from his cards "What noise?" he asked.

"Nothing" replied Liam and Beth simultaneously.

Carl looked back and forth between Beth and Liam. He bet they thought he and Lily had no idea what was going on with Beth and Daryl. But it didn't take Carl long to add up the pieces and come up with the fact that Beth and Daryl had been different ever since they had found them at that cabin. Lily had asked if they were a couple and at the time, Carl had been unsure, but over the last few days, they had both noticed Beth and Daryl sneaking off to be alone at times. They really couldn't be any more obvious. What was weird was that Carl had seen his Dad look at Jenna the same way. Adults were strange, he decided.

Rick and Daryl came strolling back into the house, each with three rabbits, already skinned and ready to cook. They held them up proudly and said "Lunch!" and laughed. Beth thought they were about a breath away from beating their fists against their chests like cavemen. She laughed at them. She kept trying to get Daryl to look over at her and he would not meet her eyes. Oh no, she thought. We are _not _going back to that. Daryl was closing himself off again. And she knew why. He was worried about the pregnancy thing, which was completely stupid. She knew that Maggie and Glenn had a similar scare some time back. Maggie had confided in her that they were both extremely worried and when it turned out she hadn't been pregnant they were relieved. But Beth knew her sister. Maggie hid the fact that part of her had wanted a baby. But no one could deny that it was not a world for children anymore. They had already lost so many kids as it was. She walked over to Daryl and whispered hello to him. "Good morning" she reached up on tip toe and whispered in his ear. "You left early".

Daryl had been pissed when he woke up that morning. Pissed at himself. At their situation. At the fact that they even had to worry about something like that. Then he got to thinking that if the end of the world hadn't come, he would have never met Beth. His thoughts were at such war with one another that his head was hurting. And it was making him grouchy as hell. "Yeah, had to go huntin" he said. "You feeling okay?" he had to know.

"Yes, Daryl I'm fine." Beth assured him, touching his elbow. He pulled back from her touch and Beth was instantly hurt. When that feeling subsided, it was replaced instantly with sheer fury. "That's it" she said, grabbing his arm and pulling his hulking form out the door with her. The place had a nice wrap around porch. It was perfect for a come to Jesus meeting, she thought.

Daryl allowed himself to be pulled outside by this tiny little wisp of a woman. Oh she was hot, he thought. And not in the way he normally liked to think of her. It was obvious by the set of her jaw and her determined gait that she was madder than fire at him. He wished for his notebook. He didn't know if he could tell her exactly how he was feeling.

When the door was safely closed behind them she whirled around to face him. "You do not get to shut me out Daryl Dixon" she hissed at him. "So if I'm pregnant we'll deal with it. Isn't that what you said last night?" She shouted at him.

"Keep your voice down, Princess" he said. Boy she was really riled up. "Yeah that's what I said last night but then I woke up this morning and I am so…so damn pissed." He said, his breath panting in and out. "I can't do anythin' right" he said. His voice was an echo of his father's. He had heard it his whole life. 'Boy you can't do anythin' right!' It had usually been followed by a slap or a kick or a punch. Daryl did not want to become who his father thought he was.

Beth was infuriated. "Is that what you think?" she demanded. "You saved my life. You've saved everyone's life at one time or another. You looked for Sophia all that time and got shot for your efforts. You have done everythin right! You have provided for our group time and time again. You made me feel something for you Daryl. All the things we have shared in the past two weeks. Doesn't that mean anythin' to you?" she said.

"Yes, dammit, it does" he yelled back. "You mean everythin' to me" he admitted. "That's what scares the hell out of me. I can't lose you Beth. Not ever again." He looked at her standing there, hands on her hips, eyes flaming at him. And as his words sunk in, her face instantly softened.

Beth felt her eyes filling up with tears. Well that was about the closest thing to an "I love you" that Beth was probably going to hear from him. "You mean everything to me too." She sobbed throwing herself into his arms. "You are a _good_ man Daryl Dixon. I don't know when you are gonna get that through your thick skull".

He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, lifting her slightly and she leaned into him. "I don't want to fight with you" she admitted softly, her breath warm against his chest.

"Aw, Beth I don't wanna fight with you either. But this situation is killing me. Come on." He said and pulled her gently back to the door. He walked in and addressed the room. "We have an announcement to make. " Daryl said. "Me and Beth. We're together." He pulled her into his arms as if to emphasize it. "Anybody has anything to say about it, best be speaking up now" he said glaring at everyone in the room, daring anyone to protest. Beth beamed up at him. He was telling everyone that they were together. They didn't have to hide it anymore. Daryl kissed her forehead gently and waited for everyone's reaction. Everyone was silent until finally Lily spoke. "We know already. Geez it's not like you guys are discreet or anything" she said rolling her eyes at them and going back to her cards. Carl chimed in "yeah, we know." Daryl looked around the room at everyone. Not one of them was surprised.

Rick was leaning against the stove, watching the whole thing, the corners of his lips upturned and his eyes crinkling at the corners. He told them "Congrats, you two" and walked over to clap Daryl on the back and give Beth a hug.

As Rick leaned in to hug Daryl he whispered to them both. "I still don't want to be anywhere around when Maggie finds out" he laughed.

Daryl rolled his eyes at him. "You got my back bro?" he laughed.

Rick looked at him in mock horror and laughed. "Hell no man, you're on your own on that one. I will kill any walker for ya, kill any man that tried to hurt ya. But Maggie? Nope. That's all you, brother." He could not disguise the glee in his voice.

Daryl groaned. It was true. Maggie was a force to be reckoned with. He had seen her and Glenn tangle more than once.

Beth looked back and forth between the two of them. She smiled softly. "Ya'll don' t worry about Maggie. I'll handle her". She said confidently. And she would, too. She and her sister fought like mad sometimes, but they loved each other. It would take some convincing, but she'd get Maggie to come around. If only they could find her, she thought.

**Okay guys, I know it's kind of short but I might try to write again tonight if I get a chance. I have been averaging about 4 hours of sleep a night and my kids are on spring break this week so I don't have as much free time. But I will do my best to get some updates done at least every day even if it's something short. Don't forget about reviewing if you feel so inclined. I cannot stress enough that it's like crack to me. And I need a fix! Hahaha Uh oh I think I am sleep deprived. Okay guys, until next time. Xoxoxoxo **


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The group quickly packed up everything they could carry on their backs. It was time to get going. Beth was going to miss this place, she thought. She glanced over at Daryl who was tightening his bow, his brow furrowed in concentration. As if sensing she was looking at him, he looked up from his bow and smiled that half smile of his. She smiled back at him. "Come'ere" he motioned for her to sit on his lap, moving his bow to the side. She put her pack down and walked over to him stopping in front of him, reaching out to smooth his hair with one hand. He grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap, kissing her softly on the lips.

Daryl would never get tired of looking at Beth. She was his now. He thought back to their fight earlier in the morning. Yep, his Beth was a spit-fire. He would have to remember that in the future. He had admitted how he felt about her and it was almost as if it was someone else who had voiced his deepest feelings for her and then told everyone that they were a couple. It was so unlike him to talk about stuff like that, he thought, but when he was with Beth, it was like he was a different person. He was starting to like that person, he thought, as he deepened their kiss.

Beth pulled away to look at him, breathless as she said "What was that for, Daryl?" Not that she was complaining. She could spend the rest of her life just kissing this man and be content with that.

"Just wanted to kiss you is all" he said, pressing his forehead to hers. This was all still so new to him. Kissing and touching and talking about feelings. Damn, he was going soft, he thought. "You complainin'?" he teased her.

Beth laughed. "Never", she said, dipping her head down to capture his hips with hers. She could feel herself getting aroused. On second thought, just kissing him would probably not be enough. She was still surprised at the force with which her body responded to his touch. Nope, she would need a lot more than kissing, she thought and giggled against his lips.

Daryl pulled back to look at her, a puzzled look on his face. "What's so funny Princess?" he asked, running his hands down over her back and gripping her hips.

"I was just thinkin that if it wasn't for walkers, we'd probably never leave the bed" she said smartly with a gleam in her eyes.

He laughed and hugged her tightly, whispering in her ear. "Angel, you have no idea. There is so much I want to do with you. To you," he corrected his eyes dark blue pools of desire. Beth blushed under his gaze. She loved the way he looked at her and when he talked about the physical part of their relationship, well, she just about useless. He literally made her knees go weak.

She remembered their fight from earlier and his admission of how he felt about her. She murmured "Everything?" questioningly and watched the flicker of recognition in his eyes.

"Everything" he stated, sealing it with a kiss. And that was all that needed to be said. They meant everything to each other and that was better than any "I love you" that Beth could dream up.

* * *

The group set out from the town, gathering what supplies they could. It was picked over like most towns they came across but they found a few useful items and a little bit of food for their trip. They stayed as close to the tracks as they could. They saw more signs for "Sanctuary Station". They closer they drew to the end of the line, the more apprehensive Rick felt. He knew Daryl felt it too. It was evident in the look they exchanged whenever they saw another sign. If the Governor had taught them nothing else, it was that people were just as dangerous as the walkers. Maybe even more so.

Daryl had been tracking for at least the last mile. He bent down to brush away some leaves from the tracks he had been following. It wasn't walkers, that much he could tell. There were two sets of prints, one was a man's and the other he couldn't tell but it looked like a woman's. The pattern of the prints were like a man's but the distance between prints and the depth of them told him it was more than likely a woman. He wondered vaguely if it was somebody from their group. The Sanctuary Station signs might be the only thing that would draw everyone together.

Rick noticed that Daryl was tracking. He sidled up closer to him as they walked. "See something, brother?" he asked. He knew Daryl was an expert tracker. They had counted on him for his skills more times than he could count and he was glad of it. He trusted the man's opinion.

Daryl looked at him sideways, speaking low so the others wouldn't hear. "Yeah, I think it's two people. The prints are a little strange. One looks like a woman's but the boot size is wrong. Plus, it looks like he or she might be injured or somethin'" he said.

Rick considered this carefully before speaking. "Think it's anybody from our group?" he asked him.

"Nah, too hard to tell. We might be behind them by half a day or so by the looks of the tracks. If we're lucky we might catch up to them by nightfall." He said. Rick and Daryl then fell into companionable silence.

Carl and Lily were playing eye spy as they walked along and they had both gotten to laughing because there wasn't a whole heck of a lot of items to spy. Trees, tracks and grass was about all they could see for miles. Rick guessed there weren't many road trip games during a zombie apocalypse. "I spy something green" Carl said for at least the hundredth time that day.

"Grass" Lily started laughing again and Carl joined her. "You guessed it. Your turn." They were both holding their sides from laughing so hard.

Beth and Liam were walking behind them and laughing every once in a while. Suddenly Liam said "I spy something pink" trying not to give away the direction of his gaze, while passing Lily and Carl. Curiously Beth followed him. Liam was bending over and picking up a stained pink sweater. Beth thought her heart fell to her feet at that moment. Her eyes filled up with tears. "Judith" she breathed. Rick heard her and ran to where she and Liam were bent over the spot Liam had retrieved the tiny knitted sweater. Rick grabbed it and looked it over. No blood, just dirt it looked like. He felt his heart clench tightly in his chest. He had been trying to force down thoughts of his daughter for too many days to count now. Now that they had found a clue of her survival he tried hard not to break down with relief. The last thing they had found of Judith's had been her car seat at the prison. It had been covered in blood and it was hard not to think the worst. He didn't think that he had fully allowed it to sink in that she might not have survived but now that he had tangible evidence that she might be alive, a spark came alive in him. Suddenly his focus was shifted and definite. It was like taking a picture with a camera and everything being blurry. You reach up to adjust the lens and the picture becomes crystal clear.

Daryl spoke up "That makes sense, Rick. Those prints we've been seeing. Whoever it is, they're not hurt. They are carrying a baby." He was surprised that he didn't think it before. Beth had come up to him and grabbed his hand. He felt her lean against him. He knew she had been worried sick about lil Ass Kicker. She had tears streaming down her face. "She's alive" she breathed, looking like the moon had just been handed to her on a silver platter.

Everyone was filled with a renewed sense of purpose and they began to walk faster and faster, stopping only to get small sips of water to quench their thirst.

Rick had put the sweater in his back pocket. It had smelled like formula and baby powder. It was strange that one article of clothing had put life back in Rick's step and reordered his whole thought process. His daughter might be alive and he couldn't put a price on that.

They continued on along the tracks, hiking up into the woods when it became too difficult to traverse the tracks. So many trees had fallen over the tracks in places, it was like an obstacle course. They stopped to eat mid-afternoon and got right back on track.

They looked earnestly for more clues but the sweater was the only thing they found. No one mentioned how much finding that tiny pink sweater meant to all of them. Daryl hoped it was true. He hoped they found her, whoever she was with and she was okay. It put a hope in them that they could all tangibly feel.

As it started to get dark, they began looking for a place to stay. Rick didn't want to stop until he found Judy and he knew that they couldn't keep traveling at night. It was too dangerous. He hated the thought of having to camp out in the open. They would be sitting ducks if they couldn't find the right place to stay. Plus the closer they got to Sanctuary Station, the more he wanted to deviate from the tracks to scout the perimeter of the place, wherever it might be. You could never be too careful these days, he thought.

Beth strained her ears. She thought she heard something. Daryl turned his head to look at her. His tracker ears were perked up and heard the same thing she did. She took off at a run in the direction of the sound. She ran up into the woods. The tracks were bordered on one side by a steep bank that had created a challenge. Beth climbed up the side of the bank and stood at the top listening for the sound again and thinking for a moment that she had been hearing things. Daryl was right beside her and perusing the area, his eyes narrowed into slits.

There was an outcropping of trees and just beyond that there was a small cave. There was a light coming from inside. Beth took off running and Daryl caught up to her and pulled her back. "Slow down, Princess" he whispered. He motioned for the others to stay back. Except for Rick and Carl, who were following close behind them.

Rick motioned for them to spread out on either side of the cavern. Daryl and Beth went to the right and he and Carl went to the left, each group flanking the entrance to the cavern. Rick heard a voice from behind him. It was a question, whispered, barely a breath. "Rick?" Rick turned recognizing the voice, rotating around to see Glenn standing there. He looked rough but he actually looked better than the last time Rick had seen him. He had gotten that flu that hit the prison pretty bad. They had thought he might not make it for a while.

Glenn moved forward and took in the group. "Maggie" he called out in the direction of the cave.

It was that moment that everyone looked the cavern expectantly. Beth's breath caught in her chest and she let out a cry as she saw Maggie appear at the edge of the cave, baby Judith in her arms. Beth took off running as did Rick and Carl. Daryl hung back a bit, watching the happy scene. Everyone was crying at the same time. Rick wiped the tears from the back of his hand and reached for his daughter as she cooed "Da-da". She was so happy to see him, he thought. He took her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead and breathed in her soft baby scent. He never wanted to let her go.

Beth watched the scene between Rick and Judy and Carl came over to them and hugged them both. It was a tender moment with their tiny family. Judy was grabbing at Carl's hat and laughing. "Mine" she said and they all laughed as Carl plopped the hat on the little girl's head. Beth walked over to where Maggie stood hugging Glenn. She looked so tired, Beth thought. Maggie grabbed her up and hugged her tightly. They had barely had time to process that their Dad was gone when they had gotten separated. Maggie thought she would never see her sister again. She sobbed in relief as Beth grabbed her around the waist and hung on for dear life. Finding Glenn had been the best thing Maggie had ever imagined. She and Glenn had thought everyone else was gone. It had been so hard on the road with the baby. But they had managed the best they could, taking down walkers when they needed to. But it had been terrifying. Maggie carried the baby on a make-shift sling they had fashioned from Daryl's poncho.

Daryl walked over to them and rubbed his hand over Judith's head glancing at the sling still attached to Maggie's back. "You stole my Poncho huh Lil Ass Kicker" and they all laughed. Daryl had come up with the nickname for the little girl and it had stuck. Daryl tried not to draw the parallel in his mind between Judith and Sophia. They had looked for Sophia for what seemed like forever. That hadn't turned out too well. He had tried not to pin his hopes on finding Judith alive but now that they had, it was like a hope rose up in him. He figured the rest of the group felt the same way.

* * *

They had all settled at the mouth of the cave, talking about what had transpired since they had last seen one another. Rick was holding Judy in his arms. Liam, Jenna and Lily had all introduced themselves. Rick felt bad that he had forgotten to do that but he had been so taken up with reacquainting himself with his daughter that niceties and manners went out the window, he thought. He said as much and everyone laughed.

Maggie said smartly, "I don't think the same rules apply anymore Rick". Everyone murmured in agreement and suddenly there was silence among them.

Beth sighed. She didn't know how they had gotten so lucky to find each other again but now that they were back together, she knew that they would fight even harder to stay together. To stay alive. Judith had sparked a hope in them; one they had lost. Beth scooted closer to Daryl, looking up at him uncertainly. She knew what he was thinking. He kept eyeing Maggie and bless his heart he actually looked scared. She whispered to him "It's gonna be okay Daryl".

Daryl looked over at her, the worry evident in his gaze. "Easy for you to say" he said and she had to laugh.

Maggie watched to two of them with renewed interest. "What's so funny, Bethie?" she laughed. It was so good to see everyone together again.

Beth looked up at her and braced herself to tell Maggie what was going on. She really wanted to have this conversation in private. It seemed that everyone picked that moment to get up and find something to do. Except for Daryl and Glenn. Jenna busied herself with her scythe. Liam was playing with baby Judith while Rick fixed her a bottle. Lily and Carl had gone to explore the back of the cave. Maggie had reassured them that they had already cleared it and it was free of walkers or anything else lurking in its dark recesses. Something was up though. She could tell. "Okay, sister, spill it" she said to Beth.

Beth looked her sister's worried gaze and laughed. "Geez Maggie, it's fine. Just promise me you'll hold your tongue until I'm done and keep an open mind." She asked.

"Course" said Maggie. Now she was genuinely curious. She smiled softly at her baby sister. She knew her sister and she was keeping something from her. And Maggie planned to find out what it was.

**Okay guys, uh-oh there it is! Lil Ass Kicker is ALIVE! Did you ever have a doubt? Is Maggie gonna be pissed? I haven't decided yet. This was a fun chapter to write. I hope it came out right and you liked it. The next couple of chapters are going to be devoted to Daryl and Beth and their situation. There's some rough stuff coming up and not just a rift between Maggie and Beth and Daryl. But I think you are going to like where I am going with the story. At least I hope so. Let me know how you like this reunion scene. I hope I captured it well. Review, review, hint, hint! Until next time. Xoxoxoxoxo **


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Beth reached for Daryl's hand and held onto it moving their hands to her lap so Maggie could see. She wasn't trying to flaunt their relationship; she just wanted Maggie to know she was serious and this wasn't some school girl crush or something.

Maggie looked at their joined hands and as the message reached her, she looked at them incredulously. "Now wait…" she began but Beth cut her off.

Beth was patient. "Now, Mags, you said you were going to keep your mouth shut until I was done." Beth purposely used her old nickname for Maggie. It always reminded them of their childhood together.

Maggie sat back down and gripped her fingers on her knees.

Beth began. "When we left the prison, right after Daddy dying, it was just me and Daryl." We wanted to come and find everyone but it got so crazy that we just ran. We ran for hours to outrun the walkers. We thought everyone we knew and loved was dead. I mean, I hoped, but" she trailed off her eyes looking down at the ground. "And I hate that I thought that, but even if you were all alive, we had no idea of knowing how we would ever find you." Beth looked over at Daryl who was watching her intently.

Beth looked back at Maggie who looked like she was about to spit nails. Beth sent her a warning glare and continued. "Being just me and Daryl, well we went through a lot together. I was kidnapped" Maggie started to interrupt again with a look of horror on her face, but Beth held up her hand. "We can explain that later. It hardly matters now. Daryl saved me. He tracked them down and saved me from almost certain harm. He took care of me. He has been teaching me to track, hunt, and take care of myself. We didn't know from one day to another if we would survive, the two of us. I think we had been attracted to one another for a while. At least since Zach died. "

Maggie was nearly seething at this point, but Beth continued anyway. "Mags, you should know better than anyone that you don't get to pick some things. This is one of those things. It chose us. And we are happy." Beth wanted to add that Rick was okay with it, but she needed Maggie to be okay with it on her own terms, not because someone else said it was acceptable. Beth needed Maggie to see things from her point of view.

Maggie asked "Are you finished?"

Beth nodded and Maggie started to say something but Daryl interrupted. "I have somethin' to say". He looked Maggie right in the eye. Glenn was sitting there silently watching the whole thing sending Daryl looks of pity every few minutes. Daryl had nodded to him, indicating that it was okay. He had been afraid of Maggie, but seeing Beth stand up to her sister, it had given him the confidence he needed. Hearing Beth talk about what was between them and how beautifully she worded it, it made Daryl believe in them all over again. He was amazed at this woman.

Beth and Maggie both looked at Daryl in surprise. Beth was surprised because she knew Daryl wasn't really good at this kind of thing and confrontation to him almost always ended up in yelling.

Daryl spoke gruffly to Maggie and Glenn "I didn't think it was ever possible to feel what I feel for your sister. And I can understand you might have a problem with it. But I don't care. It don't matter what anyone else thinks. What matters is what Beth and I want and that's each other. And you got a problem with it, you'll have to take it up with me too." He put his arm around Beth and pulled her close. Beth was stunned to say the least. This was twice in as many days that he had stuck up for their relationship. This man never ceased to amaze her.

He continued. "When I lost your sister to those men that took her, I thought that was it, my life was over". He looked at Beth again before speaking. "I thought I had lost her forever. But then I found her and we kept on going. Kept trying to find you all. And I didn't think it was possible. But she did. Beth believed. She made me believe to." Daryl finished waiting for the onslaught.

Maggie stood up and started to pace. "Daddy?" Maggie had tears welling up in her eyes. Not because of sadness but because of anger. "Daddy would be rolling over in his grave right now" Maggie vowed.

Beth yelled "You can't say that because you don't know that. Daddy isn't here anymore. We have lost so many people we love. But we are all together now and we need to be grateful."

"You don't get it do you, Beth. And you." She pointed at Daryl. "You should know better. You are old enough to be her father almost." She hissed at him moving forward to shove at his chest. Just like her sister, Maggie had a terrible temper when she was riled up.

Glenn moved behind Maggie and held her back from whatever she had in her head to do. God help him, his wife was going to be the death of him.

Beth let her have it. "You have no right to say anythin' to me about who I do and do not choose to be with. It's none of your business Maggie. I am a grown woman" she was crying now and so was Maggie.

Maggie tried to regain her composure. "Okay let's just calm down. " she said.

"Me, calm down. I have been calm" Beth roared at her. "You're the one who started this whole thing."

Daryl and Glenn looked helplessly at each other. Glenn let go of Maggie and he and Daryl decided by tacit agreement that the women needed to work things out for themselves and walked away. It was how things were with them. They fought fiercely but they loved even fiercer. They were the Greene girls and had been raised by Hershel. You didn't spend a lifetime with Hershel and come out the other side being anything but passionate about your beliefs.

Maggie looked at Beth feeling like her heart was breaking. "Beth he is too old for you. He is not for you. I know he is a good person but you come from very different backgrounds" Maggie reasoned.

"Mags, it doesn't have anythin' to do with our backgrounds. That's the whole point. It's because we have such different upbringings and life experiences that we balance each other out somehow." Beth explained.

Maggie thought sometimes that her sister would make a great attorney, if there was such a need for one. But Maggie was not backing down. "Beth, girls your age should be with someone your own age. He is older and more experienced than you. He is going to…."

Beth interrupted "We've already made love Maggie" Beth said unabashedly. She did have the good graces to blush. She was thinking that they had already made love and done it often. It still embarrassed her a little to talk about such things, but she was starting to get the hang of it.

Maggie stood there looking at her sister like she had just grown horns out of her head. "Beth!" she said shocked, looking around to see if anyone else had heard.

Beth met her gaze pointedly. "What? You didn't think I was gonna stay a virgin forever did you?" Beth almost wanted to laugh but she was mad. "I'm not a baby anymore Mags. Daryl is wonderful and gentle..."

Maggie interrupted. "Beth he is old enough to be your father. It's just not right." Maggie argued. She wanted to scream or hold her hands over her ears. She knew she was being irrational but it was her job to protect her baby sister.

"Mags you said it yourself," Beth reasoned. "Those rules don't apply anymore. Our whole world is gone. Nobody cares who is havin' sex with who. Nobody cares what makes a family anymore. Look at us. In the old world, we would never have probably met one another. But we are family and like it or not, we gotta stick together. Cause it's the only way we are gonna make it. When you are ready to accept things and talk to me like the adult I am, fine. Until then, I'm done talkin'" Beth walked away leaving Maggie there to stare after her.

* * *

Daryl couldn't help but overhear. He was stunned. Nobody had ever taken up for him before. Nobody had ever talked about him like that before, like he was a good person. He knew he loved Beth Greene. Beth walked over to him and grabbed his hand. They went for a walk away from the camp. They circled around to see what was on the back side of the cave. Maggie and Glenn said that the mouth that they were huddled in was the only opening. They held hands and walked silently. Daryl knew Beth was going to have something to say. She kept wiping at her eyes trying to get rid of the tears. He knew it always killed her to fight with her sister. They were so close. That was the problem. They were so much alike they were bound to clash at times.

"I wish she wasn't so damn stubborn," Beth whispered.

Daryl smiled his half-smile over at her, surprised at the curse word on her lips. "You sure are cute when you're mad" Daryl said, smiling at her.

She looked at him chagrined. "I'm not cute" she said. "Four year olds are cute". She said but she couldn't help but smile at him.

As they circled around the back side of the cave, they reached a set of large boulders. Beth began climbing the rocks to get to the top, Daryl following after her. They reached the top where it was relatively flat. The good thing about heights is they would be safe from walkers. Walkers couldn't climb thank goodness, Beth thought.

They sat at the top surveying the area. They had a good view of the tracks from here. Beth settled between Daryl's legs, her back against his chest. She leaned back against him as he rested his chin on top of her head, breathing her in. She always smelled faintly of strawberries. And now she smelled a little like little Ass Kickers formula and baby powder. It had been a sweet reunion to watch. They couldn't look at baby Judith and do anything but smile. She was such a happy baby and it was infectious.

Beth spoke "Daryl, thank you for speakin' up to Maggie. I think she will come around eventually. She just wasn't ready to hear about my sex life". She felt Daryl tighten behind her.

"You told her we was sleeping together?" he said, shocked. "Damn Beth do you have a death wish for me?" he said.

"Relax Daryl" she said. "She was gonna find out sooner or later anyway. I just wanted to get it out in the open now. I mean everyone else knows. " she said.

"Does she know that?" he asked.

"Nope I didn't want to tell her. Cause I didn't want to sway her one way or another" she explained.

Beth turned to face Daryl. "I just want her to be happy for me. I'm happy with you." She said.

He looked at her tenderly wanting to kiss away the worry on her face. "I'm happy with you too Princess." He said placing a kiss on her forehead. And he was. For the first time in his life, he was happy with who he was becoming. And he was happy with Beth. She was his world. He sure hoped it didn't take long for Maggie to come around as Beth expected she would. He had his doubts but he hoped she was right. Cause otherwise it was going to be one tense trip the rest of the way to Sanctuary Station.

**Whew! This was the hardest chapter to write yet. Don't be mad at Maggie. Bear with me, it's going to get better with everyone. I wanted to get the dynamic between Beth and Maggie just right. And I don't think it is something that can be solved in one chapter. I also wanted Daryl to stand up for himself. He is a different man now. It's a different world now. I think the point I was trying to drive home is that societal norms no longer exist. They have effectively been thrust back into the 19****th**** century where it was perfectly natural for a girl to MARRY a much older man. They have to redefine everything in the ZA. They have to redefine who they are, who they are becoming. They have to redefine their outlook on life. Not one person will ever be the same. They are evolving. Anyway, I will get off my soap box there. Hahaha. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review. I have no idea if I got anywhere close. Xoxoxoxo **


	24. Chapter 24

**AN: Wow, I am amazed again at all the great reviews this story is getting. I am glad you guys are enjoying it as much as I am. So thank you, thank you. So here goes to chapter 24! **

Chapter 24

The whole group was walking along the tracks, Judith cooing at Carl and Lily. Lily had really taken with the baby. She had never had a baby brother or sister. She had always been the baby. But babies always seemed to like her. And Judy was no exception. Even Liam had gone crazy over the little girl. She had this way of wrapping everyone around her little finger and she didn't even know she had that kind of power.

Thinking about her brother with Judith made Lily smile every time. Her brother was always a big goofball, joking around. She knew that he was the class clown when he was in school. Lily had heard all the stories from her teachers. The same teachers that had taught Liam. They were always surprised somehow to learn that he had gone to college and become a nurse. She guessed he hadn't paid much attention to his studies while he was in high school. But once he made up his mind to go to college, he buckled down and got serious. He had gotten great grades in college and had graduated with honors. Their parents had been so proud of him.

She felt a pang in her heart every time she thought of their mom and dad. She vaguely wondered if they were looking down on them and approved of them. They had actually found a family, it seemed. Lily had become fond of Jenna and Rick and Carl and now she was getting attached to everyone else. She had seen the way Carl looked at her. She wasn't so oblivious to not notice that. She thought he was cute. But she had never had a boyfriend at all and she had always been kind of shy. That is, until the world ended. There was no room for shyness in the zombie apocalypse. She wondered if Carl ever had a girlfriend. It was hard to tell. He was so serious all the time. They had all been through a lot. She remembered the night he told her about his mom. She had just sat there listening quietly, letting him tell his story. He didn't cry. It was clear that he really loved his baby sister. He was very protective of her. She found it odd that he didn't cry talking about his mom but when they had found Judy, Lily had seen Carl trying to fight back the tears.

They walked along the tracks each person involved in their own conversation. She had heard Jenna and Liam bantering back and forth. They were arguing over who made a better super-hero; Batman or Superman. Jenna had long been a Batman fan. Liam was arguing his case for Superman.

Jenna could not believe she was having this conversation but Liam was so ridiculous she couldn't help herself.

"Clearly, Superman is way better. He can fly. He is faster than a speeding bullet for god's sake." Batman just runs around Gotham in his tights, beating up punks. Plus Batman doesn't have a romantic bone in his body. Superman saves Lois Lane time and again."

Jenna scoffed. "Just because Superman has some hero complex, doesn't make him a romantic" she said. "Batman wears all black. That makes him a badass" Every once in a while she would swipe her scythe along a group of weeds growing along the tracks, clearing a space for them to walk and also keeping her warrior skills sharpened.

Liam laughed outright. "Batman lives in a cave! I mean come on! Besides that, Superman has x-ray vision." He leered at her suggestively and she rolled her eyes. She knew he didn't mean it towards her that way. He liked to tease.

Rick looked back at both of them and joined their debate. "Well, I hate to tell ya this, but you're both wrong." He said smiling and winked at Jenna who had just looked at him like he was crazy. "Clearly the best super-hero is Wonder Woman", he said as they looked at him like they were crazy.

Liam and Jenna both started to argue with him. Rick held up a hand. "It's easy. She's gorgeous, she's hot, she has an invisible plane. Plus she has more weapons than anyone. She has her bracelets, a magical sword, her lasso of truth and she has a magical tiara" He finished convinced that his argument was perfect. "Ain't no toppin' that."

They all laughed. "Looks like somebody has a big crush on Wonder Woman," Liam teased.

"Had," corrected Rick. "She was my first real girlfriend" he said jokingly. "In all seriousness, I think it's because of Wonder Woman and Superman that I became a cop" he said.

"Aha, so you DO like Superman" Liam jumped in.

"No, no, no Wonder Woman is still my hero. Superman is her side kick," Rick said.

Daryl spoke up finally, not believing this conversation. "You're all idiots" he informed them chewing on the stick he had carved to try to curb his nicotine urges.

The group all looked at him and laughed. They stopped for lunch a little while after that. Everyone was actually enjoying the walk and the banter. Except for Beth and Maggie. Daryl thought you could cut the tension between those two with a knife. He felt bad knowing he was part of their rift. But he also knew that they had to work it out between him. Beth seemed okay. She was quiet around the others and it wasn't like she was giving Maggie the silent treatment but it was all business between them. They kept the conversation to the minimum while planning things and working out care detail for Lil Ass Kicker.

Beth was still a little peeved at her sister and Maggie was quiet. She knew when Maggie was like this, it was better to leave her alone and let her work it out for herself.

They were all eating their lunch of peanut butter and canned pears. Daryl knew if he never saw peanut butter again after this it would be too soon. He had always hated peanut butter but you'd take what you could get.

Daryl heard a rustle in the brush off to the left. He turned to look at the source of the sound. He heard a death growl and picked up his bow and stood up pointing it in the general direction of the sound. Then he heard more growls and rustling in the bushes. He cursed and cocked his bow, ready to aim. Rick had taken his cue from Daryl and was positioned beside him. Maggie had baby Judith and she went to find a place to hide with her, Glenn going with her just in case. Everyone else stayed to fight whatever they were about to face.

Beth stared in horror as a herd of walkers came out of the woods, invading their previously friendly picnic. She took her knife out of its sleeve at her waist and got ready to put down walkers. Jenna flew forward and took out two walkers with one swipe of her scythe, swinging it widely, and effectively severing their heads at the neck, both walkers falling off to the side and no longer a threat. The only problem was that there were at least 20 more of them. Daryl shot one between the eyes and retrieved his arrow quickly to exact judgment and execution on the next one. He watched to see where Beth was and it appeared she was holding her own. He worked his way towards her. They always fought better if they were together.

Rick took down another walker kicking it in the chest and stomping on its head, delivering one crushing blow and ending the death growls. He turned to find another one right upon him. He grabbed his knife and plunged it in the walker's eye socket with a sickening squishing sound and black tar like blood pouring out of the hole his knife made. He threw the walker to the side and turned to see where he was needed next. They heard a scream and it was Lily. She had fallen over a log and a walker had hold of her shoe. She had been doing pretty good the last time Liam had looked at her. She had gotten pretty efficient at taking down walkers.

Carl was leading two of them away from where Maggie was hiding, taunting them onward until he could take them down. He quickly dispensed with those two walkers and headed toward Lily and pried the walker off her boot, stabbing it in the back of the skull. Lily rolled away and got back up to fight the rest of them.

They just kept coming and Liam had lost count of how many walkers he had killed. Fear had made him feel like he had swallowed a ball bearing, he thought. When Lily screamed, he thought that was it for her. Liam took down another one of the face-eaters and threw the body to the side. He felt something grab his arm and a searing pain shoot through it. He turned to find that a walker had grabbed hold of his arm and there was a long scratch along his arm. The fear in his stomach turned to terror and he fought in a blind fit of rage mixed with sheer desperation. The walker still had hold of his arm and Liam watched in horror as it pulled his arm up to its mouth and sunk its teeth into his arm, tearing flesh from his biceps and another one came up behind him and bit into his neck, blood gushing everywhere and sending a spray of red everywhere.

Daryl swore "Fuck!" and ran over to where Liam was and stabbed it in the top of the head, feeling the knife sink down to the hilt. He pulled it back out and threw it to the ground trying to assess Liam. He was bleeding profusely from his neck and fell to the ground. Daryl looked around for Lily, hoping to be able to shield her from this. Daryl knew this was the end for Liam. He felt bad too. Lily came running up to them and knelt by Liam who had just passed out. He was losing blood too fast. "Liam" she cried, running her hand over her brother's head and taking a cloth out of her back pocket and trying to staunch the rapid flow of blood coming from the side of his neck. "It's gonna be okay, Li-Li" she said tears streaming down her face huge sobs wracking her small body.

All the walkers laid in a heap around their camp. Glenn and Maggie had come out with baby Judith who oddly enough was not making a sound. It was as if the little girl knew that it wasn't safe to cry in this world.

Beth walked over to Lily and gently gripped her shoulders. "It's okay Lily. He's gone now". And he was. He had gurgled out a final breath, blood coming from the corners of his mouth and after his body shuddered once, it was then still. Lily sat there crying. In fact Beth couldn't help the tears that came up in her own eyes. It reminded her of when Shawn had gotten bit. They had thought he would recover but then he had gotten the fever and he had turned. Back then she had believed her Dad when he said they were just sick and needed to wait for a cure for whatever plague had befallen them. Now she knew better. What was worse is that she knew that Lily understood that too. She pulled Lily gently up from her position over her brother's body. Beth knew they would have to do something and quickly before he turned. She didn't want Lily to witness that. It was bad enough seeing your loved ones die without having to watch them turn into monsters too.

Lily allowed Beth to lead her away. Beth met Daryl's eyes and he nodded at her. He and Rick went over to Liam's body and picked him up. It was a shame, thought Rick. He seemed like a good guy. He had gotten kind of attached to his weird sense of humor and goofiness. He felt so bad for Lily. That was her only family left in this world. Rick silently vowed that he would make sure Lily was taken care of. Daryl did what needed to be done swiftly and they set about to make a shallow grave for Liam.

Lily was still crying softly, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't believe her brother was gone. They had been joking around not five minutes before the walkers came out of the woods. This new world did not make any sense. She was rocking herself back and forth, her arms hugged around her knees.

Beth sat down next to Lily and put her arms around her. She saw so much of herself in the girl. She had been just like this a couple of years ago. When her mother had come out of the barn and tried to attack her, Beth had gone into shock. Then she had tried to kill herself, but in the end, she decided that she wanted to live. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to die. She chose to live. Beth crooned to Lily "It's okay Lily." Lily just sat there and cried while everyone watched helplessly and just did what needed to be done.

Carl wanted so bad to go over and comfort Lily. He knew what it was like to lose someone. They had lost so many good people. But Carl was lucky. He had his Dad and He had Judy. And the rest of them had become like family to him. Lily had no one but them now. He didn't care what it took, he was going to make it his personal mission to keep Lily safe.

Maggie watched on helplessly. She knew what Beth was thinking. That this was too much like when Shawn had been taken by walkers. Him and Mom. The memory still hurt. She felt so sorry for Lily. She felt bad for the fight she had had with Beth. It now seemed kind of stupid in the light of what had just happened. She would have to have a talk with her sister later.

Daryl was a little shaken. It could just have just as easily been Beth that had been taken by walkers. He felt a chill go down his spine at that thought. He walked over to where Beth stood. She had just helped Lily get up off the ground. Now Carl was talking to her.

Daryl stood in front of Beth and grabbed her up in his arms, breathing in the scent of her. No words were needed between them. Beth sighed against his chest and tucked her head under his chin, where she always fit so perfectly. He kissed the top of her head and held her tightly for a minute before finally releasing her. He reached down to entwine his fingers with Beth's and he felt her squeeze his hand gently. He knew they needed to get going soon but he wasn't ready to let go of her just yet.

After they had a small memorial service for Liam with Lily crying the entire time, they decided that they needed to move on. Put some distance between them and what had just happened. So they set out along the tracks again. Beth thought for the millionth time that this Sanctuary Station better be what it was professing itself to be. She didn't think their group could take any more disappointment.

**Okay guys, so there it is, my first character death. I struggled with this chapter somewhat. Action scenes are hard for me. I loved Liam and he provided comic relief to the group but I just couldn't see his story going anywhere else. Hey at least it wasn't a main character right? And Maggie is going to come around as you can see. So should I keep her alive now? Hahahaha I know a lot of you want me to kill her off but Gleggie warms my heart almost as much as Bethyl. ALMOST! Okay, as always, review review, so I know how I am doing. Until next time, Xoxoxoxo. **


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

They had walked the rest of that day, no one really saying anything. It was so silent with everyone lost in their own thoughts. Even lil Ass Kicker was quiet. It was almost as if the little girl sensed that it was time to grieve. Beth thought how different the tone of the group was now compared to earlier this morning. They had been joking around about superheroes one minute and in the next, Liam was dead. It was a stark and cold reminder of just what their world had come to. You never knew from one second to the next if you were going to live. It sometimes scared Beth to realize that everything they had fought for could, in an instant, be taken away from them. It seemed pointless at times, but she knew she had to keep trying. Especially since she and Daryl had found one another. She loved every single minute they had together. She knew she could witness a million sunrises and it wouldn't feel as warm and wondrous as her love for Daryl. She really wanted to say the words but for now "Everything" was enough.

They had been incredibly lucky to find an old abandoned lodge. Daryl, Rick, Maggie, Beth and Jenna had been busy the rest of the late afternoon and early evening clearing the place of walkers and clearing a few rooms for everyone to stay in for the night. Hell, thought Daryl, maybe they could just hole up here for a couple of days. After Liam dying that morning, Daryl thought it might be a nice break. He would have to ask Rick and Glenn about it. It was a silent agreement that the three of them would make the decisions for their small group, getting input from the others when needed. It felt so much to Daryl like when they had been on the road before the prison.

The lodge looked like some previous campground of some sort. It had definitely seen better days and it appeared as if whatever had happened to the place had happened way before the turn. But it would definitely be better than sleeping in a cave or on top of some rocks or worse yet, on the cold hard ground. It was starting to get cold out, he noted as he had stop to warm up his hands several times in clearing out walkers and boarding the place up.

Rick placed the last nail in the window he had been working on. The place had two floors and most would stay on the upper floor with one person posted to keep watch for the night downstairs. They were all skittish since the herd that morning and it was better to be safe than sorry. They all ate some dinner and thankfully there was an outdoor shower with a rainwater spout. It was a bit cold but no one minded. They were just thankful to rid themselves of the travel grit that seemed to always be present no matter how much they tried to avoid it. Everyone felt better after getting cleaned up and people were claiming their spaces for the night. There were plenty of rooms but since their group was small they decided to stay relatively close to one another.

Judith had grown so used to Maggie and Glenn that it was decided that she would stay with them. She tended to sleep better snuggled close to Maggie. It would also work well because Rick was taking the first shift of watch.

Beth carried hers and Daryl's packs up the stairs. He had is bow; god he never went far without it. Beth was convinced that if he could, he'd take it to bed with them. She smiled at the thought. Daryl was coming back from the showers, his bow in his hand. And then that really got her laughing.

"What's so funny, Princess?" he asked, placing his bow inside the door of the room they had claimed. She was a sight for sore eyes, standing there with her hair still damp from the shower trailing down her back. It had left a couple of damp spots on the back of her shirt, he noted. He kicked their door shut and stood against the wall, watching as she readied their bed for sleeping and put their things on the dresser. She looked so damn sexy standing by the bed, working the comb through the tangles in her hair.

Beth turned to the door to see what Daryl was doing. She smiled when she saw him standing there just looking at her. Something happened inside her at that moment, him watching her comb her hair fresh from the shower. It seemed somehow infinitely more intimate than making love. He looked so hot leaning against the wall, watching her, his hair still damp from the shower, but standing there in a plain white t-shirt and dark blue jeans and no shoes. She felt an ache deep within her. In the context of what happened earlier today, she felt a sudden need to be near him, on him, with him and with that that, she put the comb down and walked over to him, reaching her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss.

His lips were on hers in an instant. He met her sudden need with a thundering hunger deep within him. Daryl pulled her flush against him and felt him go instantly hard. God, what this woman did to him. "Beth" he breathed into her hair. He needed for her to be naked before him. He pulled up on her shirt, pulling it over her head and reached for the waistband of her pants and pulling them over her hips, taking her panties with them. She fumbled with his pants, unbuttoning and unzipping them in a seamless transition. Daryl moved his hands to his hips to help her undress him. He reached down and scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed, lying down on her and reaching between them to delve one finger into her to make sure she was wet enough.

Beth opened her legs for him. She thrust her hips up to meet him and gasped as he put his finger inside her and moved it around and pulling it back out and thrusting himself inside her in one fluid movement. She cried out and gripped her legs around his hips. It was a fast threshing of body against body as Daryl pounded out a furious rhythm and it was the most glorious thing Beth had ever felt. This hot fast, furious, need that threatened to consume them both. He was panting hard as he drove himself into her.

She felt her orgasm coming, the heat radiating outward and downward, spiraling until every nerve in her body vibrated on edge until she felt the explosion of pleasure that quivered every muscle in her body.

Daryl felt when Beth came, he could feel her spasming around him. His own release came in one continuous ripple of pleasure, undulating over every nerve and muscle in his body until he gave himself over to it and cried out her name. "Beth" before coming to a stop. He kissed her forehead and her cheek and her shoulder before rolling off her and lying back.

They were both out of breath. "Whatever that was, it was fantastic" she remarked, breathlessly.

Daryl laughed at her. "You ain't got enough yet, girl?" he said.

"Of you?" Beth said as she looked at him. "Never."

Daryl leaned over and kissed her tenderly on the lips. "I love you Beth," he said looking deep into her bright crystal blue eyes. And he did. God help him, he loved her with everything that was in him. He didn't know how he had lived before without her. Whatever life had brought his way, all the hard shit he had to go through; well if he had been meant to go through all that just to get to her, well that was fine with him. She had been worth the wait.

Beth felt tears coming. He had said it first. She laughed and wiped away her tears. "I love you too Daryl Dixon". Beth knew exactly what it had taken for him to say those words to someone and he said them to her. It had taken the world ending, everything that had happened to them, losing her dad, losing the prison, their family, facing his demons; that is all just part of what it had taken for Daryl Dixon to open himself up to love.

* * *

Rick had taken the first watch because he hadn't felt tired at all before he offered. But now that he was outside on the front porch, it was getting harder and harder to stay away. He knew everyone had gone to sleep. He hadn't heard a single sound in at least the last half hour.

He heard a creak on the porch behind him and reached for his pistol at his side.

"Easy there, Sheriff" said Jenna. "I ain't gonna bite." Jenna looked at Rick sitting on the porch glider and thought he looked like sex on a stick. His curly brown locks were in small tousled curls from his earlier shower. When he had walked out of the shower earlier while Jenna had been waiting her turn, her jaw had dropped. He came out with his shirt off and she was shocked at how muscular he was. That man was hiding a six pack under all those flannel shirts he always wore. Her gaze had traveled lower to the way his narrow hips tapered down and she had let her eyes linger a bit before meeting his gaze. He had definitely been watching her as well. His bright blue eyes had flashed at her for just an instant. It was almost so fast that she thought she imagined it but then after he had greeted her with a tip of his head and "Hey Jenna", and walked by, she had watched him walk away. He had turned back once she supposed to watch her walk away. He looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He was actually checking her out and Jenna hadn't been expecting that. But he was a warm blooded male and although Jenna was not conceited, she knew she was attractive, maybe even hot.

Rick raised his eyebrows at her statement about biting. "You sure about that?" he asked her with a wink.

Was she coming on to him, he wondered, and remembered their exchange at the showers that afternoon. He could swear that she had been looking at his crotch earlier. He had chalked it up to his imagination until now with that biting remark and the saucy look on her face. Oh no, there was no doubt about it. She was definitely coming on to him. It had been a really long time for him. After they had reached the prison, he and Lori had never made love again. That part of their relationship had long been over. Hell their marriage had been over. And all that seemed worlds away now, a lifetime ago. And in a way, it was. Rick decided he would see where this was going to go.

"Well I won't bite much" she said sitting down beside him and setting her scythe down beside the glider.

He looked at her raising both eyebrows and laughed outright. "I've never met anybody like you Jenna" he said.

"Is that a good thing, Sheriff?" Jenna asked prettily.

"Oh yeah, it's definitely a good thing" Rick openly flirted with her now. He had forgotten how good this felt.

Jenna thought she had underestimated Rick. She saw that sexy gleam in his eyes and she couldn't miss the way his eyes traveled down over her body as he spoke to her. She beamed him a smile, completely satisfied with herself. She was going to enjoy every single minute of this.

Rick decided the direct approach would probably be best. "Jenna, I haven't been with anyone since my wife died. I ain't still hung up on her or anythin' like that" he explained, "but I ain't sure I'm ready for anything right now".

Jenna liked him, she thought. He wasn't one to beat around the bush and she could respect that. Besides the fact that she was definitely ready to assure him she didn't want a relationship right now. "Would you be ready for sex?" she asked him.

He laughed and shook his head in surprise. "You're honest, I'll give you that." There was something extremely sexy about a woman who knew exactly what she wanted and wasn't afraid to ask for it. "Yeah, that I'm ready for". In admitting that to her, he felt himself go hard.

And that was all the invitation that Jenna needed. She got up from where she was sitting beside him and straddled him, one knee positioned on each side of his hips. She leaned down over him and pressed her lips to his, feeling his mouth open and exploring tentatively at first with his tongue. Then it became deeper and urgent. He slanted his mouth over hers, possessing it with each gentle thrust of his tongue against hers.

Jenna gently bit his lower lip and Rick gasped sharply. He reached down and unbuttoned her blouse and unfastened her bra in the back, running his fingers up between them so he could massage her breasts as they sprung free from her shirt. He looked down at her breasts and his hands roaming over them as she tipped her head back in pleasure. He brought his head to one nipple and flicked his tongue over it and licked around the edges, feeling her grinding her hips into him. He pushed his hips up into hers. He felt like he was going to explode, his erection pushing hard against his pants. He shifted uncomfortably further inviting her hips to rotate against his hardness. As if sensing the urgent need, Jenna stood up to slip her yoga pants to the ground. She had definitely not been wearing any panties, which he had noticed earlier when he had been checking out her ass. He looked up at her with hooded eyes, no longer able to hide his attraction to her. He stood up and removed his pants and boxers and watched as she waited for him to finish and gently pushing him with her hands back to sit on the glider, as she positioned herself over him as he reached up between them and touched her.

Jenna gasped as Rick moved his fingers lower and lower until he delved one finger into her and she cried out. The assault that he unleashed upon her clit with his thumb had her quivering with need. She felt her release come quickly, which was rare for her. It usually took much longer but it had been a hell of a long time for her too. As the waves of pleasure washed over her she moved herself over him and felt him meet her hips and he entered her with one thrust. He could still feel that she was coming and she was riding it out by pumping herself up and down over his cock. It felt exquisite, her walls clamped around him and gently massaging. "I ain't gonna last Jenna" he breathed.

Jenna rode him even harder. Feeling him inside her was incredibly. He was much larger than she had imagined, but it was as if they fit together perfectly. She felt another orgasm coming as the waves rode her higher and higher. Rick kissed the side of her neck and was sucking gently. That pushed her right over the edge and she cried out. "Fuck".

He could feel Jenna coming again and this time Rick couldn't hold himself back any longer, his own release coming seconds later, their bodies rocking together, riding out the pleasure until they were both spent. She collapsed against him, both of them breathless. She rolled off him and moved to get her pants off the floor, pulling them back on and sitting back watching Rick refasten his jeans. He moved to his jacket pocket and got out his pack of cigarettes, shaking out two. He then put them to his mouth and lit them both and handed her one. She looked at him in surprise as he inhaled.

Rick breathed in greedily the heady smoke of tobacco, sweat and the scent of sex that hovered in the air between them. "What?" he asked her, pretending that his smoking was the most natural thing in the world. The scary thing was, it felt too natural. It was as if he had never stopped at all. He had been quit for how many years now and one night in the sack with this woman and he was back to smoking. She made him feel reckless, dangerous. She made him feel alive again. Which sounded absurd and ironic; going back to smoking to feel alive, but it also strangely made sense. Sex and smoking. Two very basic vices. There was something about killing walkers and losing people in this haunted world that just made you want to _live._ He wasn't delusional. He hadn't just found his long lost love. He never only been with Lori. This was just pure basic human need. One person pleasing another. And that was fine with Rick.

"I thought you quit" Jenna asked, rebuttoning her shirt, holding the cigarette between her lips.

"I did," and Rick laughed.

Jenna laughed and shook her head at him, taking a long drag on her cigarette. This night couldn't get any better, she thought. "Quick and dirty sex and a cigarette after. Yeah that's about as good as it gets." She remarked.

And he laughed as he pulled his shirt back on. He loved how she said exactly what she was thinking. "No ma'am, you're right, it definitely doesn't get any better than that".

The front door opened and Daryl walked out. He had heard them laughing when he hit the steps to the downstairs. He didn't think he had ever heard Jenna laugh. He was surprised to find the two of them on the porch smoking like it was just the most normal thing in the world. He looked back and forth between them knowingly and met Rick's gaze. Rick just grinned at him goofily. Oh yeah, he definitely had that "I just got laid" look about him. Daryl laughed and reached his hand out for the pack of smokes. Rick handed it to him wordlessly. Until Jenna had asked for that cigarette the other day, as far as he knew, Daryl was the only person who knew he carried a pack with him at all times. Hell, Daryl had had to replace that pack many times.

He inhaled deeply thinking about how Beth had looked when he left her upstairs. She had smiled at him sleepily offering to come take watch with him. He had shook his head and kissed her softly. "Nah, Princess you sleep" he had told her, gently swatting her behind as he replaced the covers over her. She was sleeping on her stomach and had her hair fanned out above her head. He could have stood there watching her sleep all night but night duty called.

"Been quiet?" he asked Rick.

"Yeah, not a peep. No walkers at all. None since the ones we cleared here earlier." Rick had to wonder about that. But maybe they should count their blessings.

Daryl nodded. "Well you better go get some rest, both of ya" he looked at Jenna who had just put out her cigarette and pocketed the butt. He used to do that himself back when he smoked all the time. Now it was just an occasional one here and there. He knew Beth didn't like it. How his life had changed since he had met her he thought to himself. Yeah they were fighting for their lives every day, but Daryl knew he had never felt more alive than when he was with Beth and he intended to hold onto that feeling no matter what.

**Okay guys this chapter was longer than I anticipated. Whew! And yes it is shameless Bethyl fluff! I needed to write this after writing the last couple of chapters and they were so serious and all. And then I added a bonus: Jenna and Rick! What did you guys think about their dynamic? Let me know how I did. Love the reviews. Seriously it's like Christmas every day when I open my inbox. Hahaha Until next time. Xoxoxoxo **


	26. Chapter 26

**AN: Sorry guys it took me so long to update this round. I had to work all weekend so that didn't leave a whole of time for anything else besides sleeping. At first I thought "who needs sleep?" but then after working 13 hours Saturday and 13 hours yesterday I decided it was ME! Haha So here goes the next chapter. I am not entirely sure where this next chapter is going but I feel confident the characters will let me know what is supposed to happen next. **

Daryl nodded at Glenn as he came out on the porch to relieve him. "Hey man" Glenn said gruffly as he was rubbing his hand over his face. It was his turn for watch.

Daryl nodded at him and stood up, stretching his aching legs. "Hey, glad to see ya. I ain't been this tired in a while". It was still slightly dark out; he might be able to catch another hour or two of sleep, especially seeing how he hadn't slept much before his watch and smirked to himself when he remembered the reason why. Beth had developed quite an appetite for love-making, he thought smiling.

Glenn looked at Daryl curiously. He had been wanting to talk with Daryl since he had figured out what was going on with him and Beth. "So man," he began and then faltered. Glenn wasn't really good at starting conversations like this. "So Beth." He gestured to Daryl.

Daryl sighed. He knew that this was coming. Geez, a guy couldn't just be with a girl. He had to talk about it too. He supposed it was natural for everyone to be curious though. "What about her?" Daryl said as he tinkered with his bow.

Glenn looked at him flustered. "Come on man, you know what I'm asking you. Maggie is completely clammed up about the whole thing. Those two have got to make up soon. Maggie has been in the worst mood." Glenn didn't further elaborate that he hadn't been able to touch her in days. Last night, she had relented a little. Glenn thought it might have something to do with Liam's death. She had allowed him to kiss her goodnight but she had begged off anything else and of course with Judith with them that night, it would have been impossible anyway.

Daryl chuckled. "You cut off man?"

Glenn looked relieved that Daryl understood what he was saying. It wasn't entirely about the sex. Glenn hated conflict. He wanted everyone to just get along. He knew though with everyone in such close proximity, there was bound to be some kind of clash of personalities once in a while. "Well yeah sure but it's not just that. I just can't stand to see Maggie and Beth at odds. They are so close. So what's going on with you and Beth. Do you love her?" And the words felt foreign on Glenn's tongue when speaking about Daryl feeling love for someone. He knew he had a rough past and he played his feelings close to the vest but he also had seen how he looked at Beth. His eyes noticeably softened when he watched her and it seemed that his eyes followed her everywhere.

Daryl let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Why is everyone so damn interested in what is going on with me and Beth?" he knew he was being grumpy but it was only because he was so tired. Yes, he loved Beth. He had just told her not even three hours ago. But he wasn't sure he was ready to admit it to anyone else. Those were really hard words for him to say. It had seemed natural saying them to Beth but telling anyone else, well that was a different story, he thought.

Glenn seemed unfazed by Daryl's tone. "Because man, you are Daryl freaking Dixon. Anybody who knows you would like to know what's going on. I get it though. I love Maggie. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. There's just something about a Greene girl. Hershel sure did raise his girls well." He said as he fingered the pocket watch in his hand. The watch meant even more to him now that the man was gone. While he had never been close to his own father, he had grown extremely fond of his father-in-law.

Daryl nodded agreeing. "You're right about that. There is nothing like a Greene girl." He relented. "I dunno. Beth and I…." he trailed off. It was hard to put into words he realized. "I'd die for her" he finally said simply. That pretty much said it all. He hoped that was explanation enough because at the moment that was all he could come up with.

Glenn nodded at him seeming satisfied with his answer. "I know how you feel" He said.

Daryl grunted as he picked up his bow. "Well I'm gonna go get some sleep" he said trudging to the door.

"Alright man, sleep fast" he joked as he watched Daryl walk back into the lodge and Daryl laughed as he shut the door. It was getting lighter out by the moment. They still hadn't talked about what they were going to do yet. Daryl and Rick had mentioned maybe staying here for a few days. Everyone was so exhausted, they could really use the break before moving on.

Glenn hadn't gotten much sleep. He thought when they had found the lodge that he would finally get a few hours of sleep, but instead of sleeping he had been wide awake for the first hour or so, watching Maggie and baby Judith sleep. Glenn felt a clench in his heart when he looked at his wife curled protectively around the sleeping baby's form. She was such a natural at being a mother. It made him long, not for the first time, for a child of their own. Watching Maggie with Judith he knew if their circumstances were different, they would have a whole house full of kids. It had been terrifying on the road though. It had forced them to really think about what it would be like to have a baby in this world. It was hard enough constantly worrying about Judith. It was the worst catch 22 he had ever experienced. Taking care of the little girl over the past few weeks had been equal parts rewarding and scary at the same time. Judith was such a good baby and had such a unique personality that sometimes you forgot you were living in an apocalyptic world. Glenn sighed thinking that if this thing was ever over with, he and Maggie might be able to have a real life together. A life without walkers and death and gore and fear.

* * *

Upstairs, Daryl wearily placed his bow beside the bed and undressed silently. She looked so peaceful sleeping there. He crawled in beside her and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. She was warm and soft and pliant in all the places that he was hard and rugged. He breathed in the scent of her, strawberries and the musky smell of sex and the smell of something else familiar. She smelled like him, he realized and smiled. He liked it.

Beth stirred lazily feeling Daryl's arms go around her. "I missed you" she breathed.

"Missed you too Princess" Daryl whispered, stroking her hair with one hand. "Sorry I woke you up. Go back to sleep".

Beth looked up at him and leaned in for a soft kiss with which he easily complied. He kissed her tenderly. He couldn't deny her anything, he realized. Kissing her he moaned against her lips. He was always amazed at how much she aroused him just with a simple kiss, a touch, a look exchanged between them. Beth smiled sweetly at him. "Sleep?" And Daryl groaned, knowing that sleep was now the furthest thing from his mind.

**Okay guys, I know that this was probably the shortest chapter in the history of fan fiction but I wanted to get something out. I will be updating again later tonight so be watching for it. As always, please let me know how I am doing. Your reviews are just wonderful! I can't believe how many of you private message me too telling me about how you like this or that going on in the story. I am overwhelmed with all the praise. I can't believe this story is already to chapter 26 and my followers are at 199 right now! Only 1 more follower til I reach 200. So exciting to realize that many people want to read what I am writing. It just goes to show that there are a lot more Bethyl shippers out there than we know. And I mean worldwide too. Evidently there is a huge Bethyl following in the UK and in Australia. Like, wow! Okay, review review lovelies and until next time. Xoxoxoxoxo **


	27. Chapter 27

**WOW! You guys. I have 200 followers and I owe it all to you guys. I have almost as many reviews which is totally exciting. I never expected any of this when I started this fanfic. It was for me. But now I realize that I write it for you as much as I write it for myself, my fellow Bethylers. You guys are the best in the fandom! **

Maggie awoke early the next morning with baby Judith playing with her nose. She opened her eyes and looked up to a toothy grin from the little girl. She smiled. "Mornin angel" she cooed at the little girl who leaned down for hugs. Such a sweet baby, thought Maggie. She could think of worse morning awakenings than adorable baby Judy playing tug of war with her nose. She quickly fixed the baby a bottle, thankful for the formula they had found in one of the lodge cabinets. She had worried about it being expired, but figured any form of nutrition it could provide was better than nothing. She could not wait for the little girl to get some more teeth so she could eat the same things they did. As if on cue, Judy began to cry at the bottle that Maggie had just handed her. This was strange, thought Maggie. Judy usually loved her bottle, especially first thing in the morning. She picked the little girl up and gently rocked her in her arms. She couldn't imagine what was wrong with the bottle so she opened it and smelled it and finding nothing wrong sat it down on the bedside table. Maggie stood up with the baby and walked her around the room. She walked out of the room and headed to Beth and Daryl's room. It was kind of strange how she had just thought that a place as being just her sister's and Daryl's, especially a bedroom. They seemed foreign to her and somehow right simultaneously. She knocked on the door softly and was told to come in.

Daryl and Beth were awake and had the sheets clutched to them. Maggie looked away jostling the fussy baby in her arms trying not to see the clear evidence that they were naked under those sheets. Their clothes were lying in heaps on each side of the bed and they were definitely naked from the arms up. Beth had the sheet gathered under her arms and Daryl had gripped it around his waist.

Beth was instantly awake. "What's wrong?"

Daryl wiped one hand over his face. He had just gotten to sleep not more than an hour ago. He inwardly groaned at the decision to make love to Beth when he had come to bed earlier. She had been too tempting to resist though. However he was going to jump at the opportunity for the girls to patch things back up.

"If you'll let me get dressed, I'll let you two talk. I ain't exactly comfortable sitting here in my birthday suit while you two talk baby talk." Daryl remarked.

Maggie had the good grace to blush and quickly complied shutting the door and stepping into the hallway.

It was so odd for her baby sister to be sleeping with a man. And not just _sleeping _either. But Beth was 19 now. She couldn't very well keep her a child forever. Daryl opened the door and stepped back to let Maggie enter.

Maggie walked straight over to Beth who was sitting on the bed putting her socks and boots on, having already dressed in jeans and what looked suspiciously like one of Daryl's shirts since it was more like a dress on her small frame. After she put on her other boot, she reached for baby Judith looking her over carefully. "Did she sleep okay last night?" she asked Maggie.

"Well yes, she was fine until I fixed her bottle. Then she just started cryin' and now she won't stop". Judith was normally so good natured and happy it was hard to imagine that she ever cried. She didn't normally only when she was hurting. And suddenly it clicked with Beth what was wrong. She smiled and crossed the room with the baby, handing her to Daryl who was absently chewing on his thumb watching the whole exchange.

Daryl gladly accepted the baby into his arms. "Hey there Lil Ass Kicker. Did you miss your uncle Daryl?" he said to the little girl swaying back and forth with the little girl. She momentarily stopped crying, using her chubby fingers to grab onto Daryl's shirt.

Beth searched through her pack searching for the one really useful thing that she had found on their scavenger hunt through the cabin they had stayed in. She had put it in he pack and had forgotten about it until now. She felt down in the bottom of the bag and finally her fingers landed on the rubbery surface of the teether she had found. It had still been in its packaging. Finding it had been one of the reasons that Beth believed so strongly that they would find everyone. She smiled to herself thinking that she had been right; it _was_ a sign. She had told Daryl as much when she found it. She smirked at him as she handed him the teether and demonstrated how to get the little girl to grasp onto the teether and get it to her mouth. "She's teething" Beth explained.

Daryl showed her once how to get a good grip on the teether and she had it down. He laughed watching her clamp down on the toy and smile at him through sweet baby drool. He reached a hand out to Maggie who stared at him blankly.

Maggie had been deep in thought watching Daryl with Lil Ass Kicker. It wasn't that she hadn't already seen him like this with her. It was just that she was seeing it in a whole new context. She realized suddenly with a start that she could imagine Daryl being a good daddy. What was more, she could imagine Beth being a great mom.

As if sensing what was going on, Daryl took the bottle from Maggie's hand and started walking to the door with the baby. "Me and Lil Ass Kicker will be downstairs eating our breakfast." He said and closed the door behind him.

Maggie turned to look at her sister who had gone back to sitting on the bed. She crossed the room and sat down gingerly on the bed with the rumpled covers. "Bethie I'm sorry" she said, her eyes filling up with tears.

Beth waited calmly trying not to break down. She really needed to hear what Maggie had to say. "What changed your mind?" she asked her sister.

"You did." Maggie laughed through her tears. "Daryl did." She paused, the tears spilling over onto her cheeks. She finished, "Daddy did." Her voice broke. At that, Beth began to cry too. They both missed him so much and really had not had a proper time or place to mourn his violent passing. They both fought for control of their emotions. As bad as everything had been, they knew their father would not want them to dwell too much on his death.

They embraced each other in grief, in forgiveness, in understanding, in love. Maggie whispered gruffly. "Daddy would approve Bethie" she assured her sister. "I'm sorry I said what I did. It's just hard for me to see you grow up. It was so stupid of me to be so overprotective of you. I had no right to say the things I did. Anybody who looks at the two of you can see how much he loves you. I think if Daddy could pick out any guy for you in the world, he would choose Daryl. Everyone can see that he would walk over hot coals for you." Maggie smiled at her sister fondly.

"Oh Mags. I have hated this fight between us. I really think Daddy would approve too." She sniffed. God , she hated crying. It always made her face red and her eyes bloodshot and made her nose run. It was the most unattractive emotion, she thought. "Daryl is so….wonderful" she said dreamily. She knew she sounded like a schoolgirl and she didn't care. She had been dying for this moment to happen between her and her sister and she was not going to miss out on the chance to gush about it. She knew Maggie understood because it had been that way when she and Glenn had started out. They had stayed up a couple nights at the farm, Maggie looking all doe-eyed and her face fogging over whenever she talked about her and Glenn and their trysts. Beth was the one who covered for her with their father.

"Well he is hot" Maggie conceded. Both girls giggled, Beth playfully slapping at her sister's arm. "Hey now that's my boyfriend you're talking about" she said, laughing.

One thing had definitely become clear to Maggie in the time it had been since she found out about her sister and Daryl. Everyone but Glenn and her had known about them. Rick had told Glenn who had told Maggie that Daryl had evidently made some proclamation in front of everyone at the cabin where they all found each other. She smiled thinking about how horrible her husband was at keeping secrets. She mentioned the incident now. "So I heard Daryl kind of claimed you as his woman in front of everyone" she said to her sister.

Beth laughed. "Oh yeah. He marched us back into that house, grasping my hand and told everyone that if they had a problem with us being together that they would have to take it up with him" she smiled thinking about it. Even though he had been kind of caveman-ish about it, she had loved it. She thought it was really cute.

Maggie looked at her sister and smiled softly. "He makes you happy doesn't he sis?" she asked.

"Yes, he does Mags. He really does. Even though we live in this horrible world and have to fight for our lives with the dead as well as the living, I am happier than I have ever been. He loves me. And that's something really special" Beth said simply. She hugged her sister fiercely. "Thank you Maggie".

"For what?" Maggie said puzzled.

"For finally getting it and for being big enough to say you're sorry. I know how hard that is for us Greenes. I think the Irish in us makes us stubborn." Said Beth. Suddenly her stomach growled and they both laughed. "Let's go see about breakfast" said Beth. "Daryl makes great oatmeal" she grinned at her sister who was looking at her dumbfounded. She found it hard to believe that man had a domestic bone in his body.

"Oh you have no idea Maggie. Daryl Dixon has a ton of secrets". Beth grinned wickedly at her sister who playfully swatted her behind out the door of the bedroom, laughing all the way.

"Beth!" she admonished her sister whispering harshly. But secretly she was glad. She was so happy her sister had found love. In this life, there were no guarantees. Because you never knew if this breath would be your last. You had to take your chances and hope for the best. Love was a bigger risk than any sometimes, but it was worth it.

Daryl walked down the stairs with little ass kicker and placed her on a blanket with her bottle while he fixed some oatmeal for everyone. They had found a considerable stash of it in the lodge. He began getting out the ingredients for his secret recipe, only two of which included brown sugar and cinnamon. He waited for the wood stove to heat with the wood they had found stored in the shed out back, impatiently drumming on the counter top. Judith was happily chewing on her new teething toy, having cast the bottle aside. He figured she would eat when she got hungry or that tooth broke through. He had been there a time or two before when she had cut some teeth. She had started early, around three months. Beth had said it was early for a baby to cut teeth that early but not unheard of. Then he had asked her where in the world she had learned so much about babies. She had explained that she had spent a summer babysitting for her neighbors who had had a child later on in life. It had been unexpected and while they tended to their farm, Beth would go over and babysit for them. Sometimes they could pay her and sometimes they couldn't. Beth said didn't care. She just loved being around babies. She had told him that way before they had ever become an "us", he thought. Finally the water was boiling so he added the oatmeal and other ingredients to the boiling pot.

Rick walked in and Daryl yawned a good morning his way.

"Rough night brother?" he asked laughing.

"Yeah, you could say that I guess" Daryl answered looking at his friend who was grinning at him.

"I heard you when you came back upstairs" Rick laughed.

Daryl groaned realizing Rick's meaning behind his leering grin. "Man, stupid thin walls" he grumbled stirring the oatmeal.

"Bro are you cooking?" Rick asked incredulously.

Daryl changed the subject, not giving in to Rick's ribbing. "Like you have a right to say anything about hearing me and Beth. " Daryl leaned closer and said low in a low voice. "I saw how things were between you and Jenna last night. You gonna tell me you wasn't doin her last night before I came downstairs?"

"Shut up man." Rick warned him. "I don't want everyone knowing that. Especially Carl." He said. "Besides, it was just sex, brother" he said for emphasis.

Daryl chuckled. "Yeah man, you just keep telling yourself that." They didn't have time to elaborate further as Beth and Maggie were coming down the stairs and by the looks of it, they had patched things up. Thank god, thought Daryl. That must mean that Maggie had finally come around. He couldn't be more grateful. He knew that Beth was miserable without her sister. But in watching them joking around now, gone was any evidence that they had ever had a rift between them. When he thought about it though, he guessed it was some kind of sibling code. Because it had never mattered to him how much stupid shit Merle had done to him, he always forgave him. He shook his head at the mental image of his brother having turned popped in his head and his heart had a painful twang. Yeah Merle was a redneck asshole but he missed him.

Beth crossed over to him and kissed his cheek. "Mmmmm, oatmeal" she murmured. "I told Maggie you made the best" and glanced at her sister as she said it.

Maggie smiled softly. "Yeah Beth tells me you cook up a mean oatmeal. You use brown sugar?" she asked.

Daryl looked up at her in surprise and smiled his little half smile and mock glared at Beth. "You been telling all my secrets, Princess". Beth smiled at the affectionate nickname he had given her. It was a far cry from "girl, half pint, or short stuff". Gone too were the looks he would give her when he said them. Now he had nothing but love and passion for her in his eyes.

"Oh no, Mr. Dixon. Not all your secrets." She smiled saucily at him. She knew he hated when she called him that. It made him feel old, he said. Half the time she did it just to get a small rise out of him and this time was no exception. "Woman, I will get you for that" he declared, unleashing a tickle war upon her ribs and her squealing in a hilarious mixture of torture and pleasure.

"Okay, okay, uncle, uncle" she laughed, not realizing her mistake before it was too late.

"That's not any better, little girl." He laughed then seeing the brief flash of irritation in her eyes. He knew he had her then. "Now we're even". He said as he took the oatmeal off the stove.

Maggie had watched the whole exchange between them and laughed. She took a small bowl of the cereal and fixed it for her and Judy.

Beth reached over and grabbed Judith off the floor and took the bowl from Maggie. A silent look of understanding passed between them. Rick excused himself from the room and Maggie turned to face Daryl. "I owe you an apology Daryl" she said her back ramrod stiff. It was true. Greenes had a hard time with apologies and this was twice in one day.

"S'okay" he said warily, waiting to see if she had anything else to say.

"I was wrong to judge your relationship with Bethie. She is a grown woman and she can make her own decisions. I been taking care of her of her my whole life, watching over her, protecting her when I could. But it's clear to me now that when I couldn't protect her, you did. Thank you for that." Maggie finished and gently placed her hand on Daryl's arm.

Daryl nodded and said gruffly. "You're welcome. I did it for your dad too". And he looked at her and wondered how two sisters could be so different and yet the same and he thought that it had to be because of Hershel. He had loved those girls fiercely and he had raised some mighty fine women. "And for Beth and me" He hoped his hidden meaning was clear.

At that moment, a look passed between Daryl and Maggie. It was a look of understanding and Maggie nodded at Daryl, getting it that they both had the same interest in mind. Keeping Beth happy and safe. That could be a two person job. They could do both together**. **

* * *

**Okay, what did you guys think? Maggie isn't so bad now right? A lot of you have been asking that I kill her off. Hahaha But I swore she would get better and I hope I achieved that? :/ Did I do okay? In case you didn't realize it, this is a shameless plea for reviews. So review, review my lovelies! And thank you, thank you in advance. Until next time. Xoxoxoxoxo**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Daryl, Rick and Glenn were outside making a makeshift map in the dirt and deciding what to do next. They had pretty much decided that they were going to take a few days at the lodge. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. Rick thought perhaps it would give them extra time to rest, plus with any luck at all they might find some of the rest of their group or the group could find them. They had no way of knowing who had made it out alive and who didn't.

"If we hunt everyday, we can get game for protein. The lodge has plenty of canned goods to keep us for a little bit. I don't think I have to say that I am very anxious about heading to Sanctuary Station without knowing what it's all about or even if the signs are accurate. I say we hole up here for a few more days, rest up and with any luck we get to Sanctuary before the first freeze."

Daryl nodded. It was getting colder by the day. He shifted his bow on his back. "I ain't none too comfortable with going there anyhow. It sounds like it's too good to be true." Daryl said what they were all thinking.

"Well, I for one could use a few extra days rest. Maggie and I haven't had a break since we left the prison. We've been on the run ever since and with baby Judith we haven't been able to do much else besides just survive. There were some days we didn't think we would make it."

He shuddered thinking of the close calls that they had experienced. Like the time he had to leave Maggie and Judith in a car beside the woods so he could go find them so food. When he had come back with a few rabbits he had trapped, Maggie had been screaming and so had Judith. There were two straggler walkers trying to get in the car and they had almost succeeded. They knew it had been risky but they were hungry and it was the only thing they could have done. Hunting with Judith was impossible. She was a quiet baby but even quiet babies made cooing noises and it scared away all the animals. However, despite all their troubles they had experienced moments of joy too. Judith was a joy and it had given them a chance to really bond with the little girl. He knew Maggie was completely attached to her. In fact it had been hard for her to relinquish care the night before to Rick. Rick decided it was time for him and Judith to get reacquainted again.

Glenn was thankful for the time alone with Maggie. He had thought they would have some alone time last night but in truth they had both been too tired to do anything more than fall into the bed and sleep. He smiled at the memory of cuddling with Maggie this morning before Rick, Daryl and he had gone hunting. They had been on their way back and talking about what the next step was. Now they had paused with their catch, several fish, two rabbits and three squirrels to map out their plan for the next few days.

Rick nodded thoughtfully at what Glenn had said. "Yeah I think we all had some hard times. We were stupid to think that we were safe at the prison. It gave us a false sense of security. We let our guards down. It won't happen again".

Glenn and Daryl both nodded in agreement. "Okay, let's get back and see if the women can think of a stew or something they can make with our catch."

"Ah gross man," said Glenn. "Fish, rabbit and squirrel stew?" he wrinkled up his nose.

"Not the fish," said Daryl rolling his eyes at Glenn. He was glad Glenn had learned how to hunt a bit. When they had first met him, his only skill was getting them in and out of places in a hurry. He used to be a pizza delivery guy so he had an uncanny sense of direction and thought quick on his feet. Which was a good skill set, don't get him wrong, but now that Glenn knew how to kill walkers and hunt, it was a lot better.

Rick laughed at the exchange as they all got up and dusted their hands off and headed back to the lodge.

Daryl couldn't wait to get back. He was hoping for some time with Beth. He had watch last night and Beth had been asleep when he came to bed. He didn't wake her as she had been so tired before bedtime. She was still sleeping soundly when they left to hunt this morning. He had left her a note in his notebook. He wondered what she thought of what he wrote.

* * *

Beth had woken early that morning but not early enough to beat Daryl awake. He rose usually before the sun and always had. He had been a loner for a long time too. He wasn't used to telling someone where he would be. But she had been surprised to see the notebook laid on the pillow with it opened to the page he had written on.

"Good morning Princess" it had said. "I know I was supposed to wake you up, but you were sleeping so good, I decided to let you rest. I thought of some words to a song I remember.

Don't want to close my eyes  
I don't want to fall asleep  
Cause I'd miss you babe  
And I don't want to miss a thing  
Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream will never do  
I'd still miss you babe  
And I don't want to miss a thing.

Love you Princess and see you soon."

She smiled now at the memory. She hoped he didn't mind that she had written him back in the notebook. Of course she recognized the song by Aerosmith. He had excellent taste in music, she thought. Maggie had run around the house singing it endlessly a few years ago, much to Daddy's horror. He didn't exactly approve of his kids' music choices sometimes but she knew he understood that they had been raised to like all types of music. It was a big part of their heritage.

Thinking back over what she wrote, she hoped he liked it. It was an answer to the verse he had written down for her. Daryl Dixon was a romantic, she thought. Writing out the lyrics for songs for her? Well it didn't get much more romantic than that. She smiled again thinking she couldn't wait to see him. She was in the kitchen fixing Judith a lunch time bottle. She didn't know what the plan was but as far as Beth was concerned they could stay at this lodge for a little while. It was nice to have a place to stay, a bed to sleep in. And the place had showers, which was definitely a plus.

Maggie broke into Beth's reverie. "Penny for your thoughts" she asked her sister. She had been quiet this morning, smiling ever so often. She knew the expression on Beth's face well. She had worn it for awhile when she first met Glenn. Sometimes she still did, she thought with a smile. She hadn't expected to find love when the world ended. In fact, she hadn't even been thinking about love, but she knew she was lost forever when she and Glenn had sex in that pharmacy. The ride home had been awkward but he was so cute about the whole thing. He was very unlike any guy she had dated before. And now she was married. Things change fast, thought Maggie.

Beth looked up finally responding. "Well it might cost more than a penny. Inflation and all," Beth said and Maggie laughed. It was corny, but it was one of their dad's old jokes. It felt good to have a laugh while thinking about their dad, instead of the pull at the heart they normally felt when speaking his name.

Beth handed Judy her bottle and peeked in the living room at Carl and Lily who were playing cards again. She swore that's all those two did. Carl adored Lily, that much was certain. And it was clear that he was trying to keep her mind off of her brother's death. Beth was pretty sure that Carl liked Lily as more than just a good friend but Lily appeared a little oblivious to the whole thing. And who could blame her really.

Beth sat down at the kitchen table holding Judy so she could drink her bottle and hopefully get her down for a nap. They had found a very old pack and play down in the basement of the place but it was currently working great to keep Judith off the floor and gave her a place that she was safe from getting stepped on and she couldn't get into as many things. The little girl was starting to crawl and sometimes she tried to pull herself up.

"Thinking about Daryl?" Maggie prodded. It was good to see Beth happy. She had experienced way too much sadness. They all had.

"Well no…and yes." Beth laughed. "I mean I think about him all the time. Sometimes I think I love him so much I can't breathe Mags". She looked up at her sister knowing she sounded crazy.

Maggie smiled at her sister knowingly and recognized the wonder and fervor of true love. "I know. It can be scary. But you guys will figure it all out."

Beth decided she would ask her sister the big question that had been plaguing her for days. Daryl hadn't mentioned it lately but it was unspoken between them that they were worried about the possibility of pregnancy. "Maggie how do you know if you're pregnant?" she asked her sister, eyes wide and worried.

Maggie almost spit out her coffee. "Oh god, Bethie. You don't think you are, do you?" she whispered hoping the others couldn't hear them. Rick, Glenn and Daryl had been out hunting. But Jenna was on the porch and Carl and Lily were just in the next room. She didn't supposed it mattered much. Everyone always ended up knowing everybody else's business eventually anyway. That's the way it was with communal living. Maggie sighed beginning again. "Why do you ask?" Maggie said.

Beth rocked Judith in her arms, noting that the little girl's eyes were getting heavier and heavier with each swallow of her bottle. "Well we haven't had any protection," Beth explained. "and we've been trying to be careful but I know a few times we kind of got….err, carried away?" Beth ended the statement with a half a question.

"Oh Bethie. Me and Glenn have been there before. When was your last period?" she asked her. They had never shied away from any delicate subjects before and Maggie wasn't going to start now.

Beth shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "I have no idea. You know I have never been regular anyway. The last one I can remember was when Zach was still alive. I have tried and tried to remember but I always come up blank. "

Maggie considered what Beth was saying thoughtfully before she began. "Well, I know I haven't been regular since we left the farm. And we thought I was once remember?" she asked Beth, the younger sister nodding at the memory. "Yeah but how did you find out you weren't".

Maggie smiled. "Well Glenn went on a run to find a pregnancy test but by the time he got back with it, mother nature had let us know we didn't need it. I wish I had another one but I do remember a lot of stuff that Daddy taught me from when Lori was pregnant. I don't know if he was trying to prepare me for later on or what but he was pretty thorough. Are you sick or anythin'? Having to pee a lot?"

Beth shook her head at Maggie. "Well there is no way to tell for sure right now unless we come across a pregnancy test but even then it might be too early to tell. We will just keep an eye on things and when we leave here and come to the next town we will find another test somewhere so you can have peace of mind. In the meantime, me and Glenn have condoms if you and Daryl want some". Maggie explained.

Beth looked up at her sister in wide-eyed surprise and Maggie laughed. "Yes sister dear, I do have sex with my husband" she teased and then they both laughed.

At that, Daryl, Rick and Glenn walked back in the house, showing off their catches.

Daryl walked over to Beth at the table and glanced between her and Maggie. "Did you get my note?" he asked Beth as he kissed her on the forehead and ran his hand lightly over Lil Ass Kicker's head. He loved watching Beth with her. She was so good with the baby. It was easy to imagine that she would be a good mother.

"Yes, you'll have to read my reply" she said winking at him.

He raised an eyebrow at this. "You wrote me back?" he asked her, whispering so the others couldn't hear. If Rick and Glenn found out about the notebook , he would never hear the end of it, he thought. "I'm gonna go upstairs and change. I got some walker blood on me". Beth looked at his shirt, noting the splatters now and wrinkled her nose at him. He laughed and walked upstairs, grabbing a couple of chips that had been on the table between her and Maggie.

Daryl walked up the stairs, wondering what Beth and Maggie had been talking about when they walked in. They both looked like kids with their hands caught in the cookie jar. He walked into their room and shut the door, stripping off the shirt and laying it in the corner. If they were gonna stay here, they were going to have to find a way to wash clothes soon. They had found some clothing at the lodge but he knew there wasn't an endless supply. He put on a clean black t-shirt and tucked it into his jeans. At least his pants had been spared this time. They were relatively clean. He walked over to the bed and sat down, noting that Beth had made up the bed and the notebook was lying on his pillow. He opened it to the last entry, anxious to read what Beth had written.

"Daryl, I love you too. More than you know. And know that I watch you sleeping too sometimes. You are so cute when you sleep." Cute, Daryl thought? He had never thought of himself as cute. He read on:

"Lying close to you feeling your heart beating  
And I'm wondering what you're dreaming  
Wondering if it's me you're seeing  
Then I kiss your eyes  
And thank God we're together  
I just want to stay with you in this moment forever  
Forever and ever.

Love Beth"

It was the next verse to the song and he was pleased that she had known it. Of course almost everyone knew Aerosmith, but still he felt a sudden twinge of gratitude that she got where he was coming from.

The door to their room opened and Beth walked in, closing the door behind her and holding something in her hand. He could swear it looked like condoms.

She grinned at him and shook them at him, leaning against the door, obviously very pleased with herself.

Beth had given Judy to Maggie and gone upstairs to find the condoms exactly where Maggie had told her they would be. And looking at Daryl's face change over from mild surprise to thinly veiled dark desire had been worth telling Maggie about their pregnancy scare. She had been afraid Maggie would be upset but she had been very calm about the whole thing. Daryl could take a lesson from her, she thought.

Daryl got up from the bed and moved towards Beth who was still leaning against the door and watching him cross the room to her. Her lids had lowered slightly and her lips parted, letting out soft puffs of air, her body fighting for control over what her mind had just released. She knew the look he had in his eyes, pent up desire and passion. She had seen it many times before.

He stopped directly in front of her and looked down at her, taking the condoms she was holding out. "Where did ya get these?" he asked her, dipping his head down to kiss her neck and he felt her breath catch in the back of her throat and has he splayed one hand across his ribs he could feel her sharp intake of breath that always meant she was getting aroused.

"Maggie" she breathed against his ear, rapturing in the assault that his lips were unleashing upon her skin, at her neck, over her shoulder and back up, nipping at her ear.

Daryl looked at her surprised and Beth laughed. "It's okay, Daryl, she really is okay with us." There were at least 10 condoms in his hand and he planned on using at least half of them right now with the way he was feeling. Every time he was with Beth it was like it was his first time. She made him feel like a damned teenager again. His lips turned up in a wry smile, thinking that it was probably appropriate given her age and all. It was strange. Even though it was a slight turn-on knowing that Beth was only 19, almost half his age, he never thought of her in a certain age. She was just Beth. _His Beth_. His lips spread a trail of liquid fire across her skin, its normally porcelain surface mottled with a mixture of flushed desire and sunburn from working outside in the day. The color looked at home on her skin and though he kissed her thousands of times, it was as if he could not get enough of her taste. He kissed a trail back up her jawline and met her slightly parted lips and gently thrust his tongue inside, feeling her moan against his lips. He had her pressed against the wall and she brought one leg up to brazenly wrap around his hips and pull him in closer, molding herself to him, to his hardness.

Beth groaned again and ground herself against him shamelessly. The first few times they had made love, Beth had been unsure and unexperienced. Now that she had a taste of passion and physical love and desire, she wanted more and where before she had used tentative touches to explore Daryl's body, her fingers now moved of their own volition in skillful movements and patterns she knew for a fact would elicit the response she desired.

Daryl gripped her thighs and lifted her easily up against him, wrapping her legs around him and he walked her to the bed and gently laid her back, laying the condoms beside them. He leaned down pressing his lips against her ear, whispering daringly "I'm going to fuck you senseless Princess", and Beth moaned against him, feeling him unbutton her jeans and slide them over her hips. He reached down and removed his as well. She unbuttoned his shirt that she had slipped on that morning and he stopped her before removing it. "Leave it" he said huskily, looking up at her with half closed lids.

Daryl thought it was sexy as hell that she was wearing his shirt. She looked lost in it and he knew it was crazy but he wanted nothing more than to come home and find her in his shirt and nothing else. The thought of her wandering the house in no panties had him breathing heavier than he would have liked. The mental image of such a domestic scene niggled in the back of his mind, so he instead looked at Beth lying half naked before him, her hips moving almost imperceptibly. She was getting worked up, that was sure. Daryl smiled at her before positioning himself between her legs. "Open your legs, Beth" he said. He knew that always drove her wild.

There was something so carnal about Daryl going down on her, thought Beth. And when he told her to open her legs, it was even hotter and she moaned. She couldn't help it, but honestly most of the time she clenched her legs closed just so she could hear him command her to open herself for him. It made her wet every single time. Daryl kissed up the inside of one thigh and she practically quivered with need. She knew exactly where she wanted his mouth and he was not getting there fast enough to suit her needs. She writhed her hips against him needing to feel his tongue on her and in her. He traced lazy circles all over her slit and she moaned. He licked up and down the slit without coming near her clit and she thought she was going to die with aching, pulsating need. She moved her hand down to touch herself and he looked up at her, surprised. "Nah, ah, Princess. That's my job" Daryl said as he took her hand and held it close to her side, preventing her from doing anything but give herself over to the wondrous attack on her senses. Suddenly without warning, he parted her with his fingers and plunged his tongue inside her in one movement. She cried out in pleasure and felt the instant the tip of his tongue reached her clit with him flicking it back and forth over the hardened nub. She felt that familiar heavy heat that settled itself deep within her before finally breaking apart into tiny bolts of pleasure spiraling out of control until she felt she was going to break into a million pieces. She held onto Daryl's head to steady herself as much to hold his mouth against her until she had rode out her orgasm completely. He moved up over her and Beth heard the ripping of plastic. "Wait, let me" she whispered.

Daryl looked down at her surprised and he handed her the condom and watched as she expertly unrolled it over the length of his hardness. He looked up at her, his eyes narrowed in mild amusement.

"What?" Beth said innocently. "We did it on bananas in health class" and with that they were both chuckling.

Feeling her hand on him though, the lightness didn't last and his need burned deep within him. Daryl had plenty of women who had put a condom on him before, but the way Beth did it, it felt like so much more. It felt right. Once Beth was satisfied the condom was on sufficiently she guided him to her and let him take over, wrapping her legs around him as he joined their bodies together in one thrust.

Daryl moaned loudly and leaned down to claim her lips with his own, finding her mouth ready to accept him. He set a steady rhythm and pumped himself inside her again and again. His release ebbed and eased off maddeningly and Beth seemed to sense that he was having a hard time reigning in the control it required for him to be able to let go. She gripped her legs tighter around him creating a delicious friction that enabled Daryl to finally let go and find his release, feeling the waves of pleasure ripple descending downward until he was spent. He rolled himself off her and removed the condom placing it on the table for later disposal. Beth was looking at him, appearing rather pleased with herself. "What?" he asked her, tracing lazy circles over her bare hip, playing with that delicate curve that he found so endearing.

"Nothing" she said smiling at him. "Just thinkin' that I really love doin' this with you" she said and he had to chuckle.

"Well thanks Princess, I'm kind of fond of it myself" he said wryly.

Beth playfully slapped at his chest, her fingers curling possessively over his biceps. "Nobody likes a smartass" she said smartly.

"That's not true at all." Daryl said winking at her. "I've always found my stunnin' wit to be completely charming." He was trying to keep a straight face and be serious but this girl brought out a wicked side in him and his eyes told the tale.

Beth giggled against him and molded herself against him. Daryl groaned, feeling himself go hard again. Beth reached between them, feeling his hardness in her hand and stroking up and down like he had shown her before. He reached for the condoms and smiled at her "ready for round two?" he asked. He couldn't believe he was already ready for more, but he couldn't get enough of her.

Beth laughed and climbed on top of him to straddle him. "Thought you'd never ask, sir" she said laughing at his expression. She dipped her head down to kiss him and took the condom from his wordlessly. And he let her.

**Okay guys, hope you liked this chapter. It's a long one but it was all in my head and needed to get out. Haha Hope you like it. I wrote the first part of the chapter early in the day when my Bethyl feels were relatively calm but then my daughter hadn't watched the season finale yet so I watched it with her. So the last part of the chapter is the product of Bethyl feels run wild. So sorry if it was too much! Please leave feedback. I am getting ready to get into the grit of the storyline so I thought I would have some more fluff before we delve into that territory. So let me know what you think. Review, review! Wink wink. Until next time, xoxoxoxoxo **


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

They had been there for eleven days already and they were all sitting down mapping out their next move. Everyone was voicing their concerns for what Sanctuary Station or SS as they had come to call it, had to offer them. They were no longer sure that it was the right move for them. They had already found so many of their group, they almost wanted to continue on past SS to find a secure place to stay for winter. Maybe they could find the rest of their group.

"If they are like us, and I know they are, the rest of the group would probably be as wary as we are" Rick stated thoughtfully.

"I don't trust the place" Daryl chipped in. "But then I don't trust most people". He looked surprised when a couple of them snickered. "What?" he asked, perplexed by everyone's amusement.

"Bro, I think that might be the understatement of the year" he looked at Daryl sideways, smirking at him.

Daryl flushed slightly and then ducked his head, knowing Rick was right. "Well ain't none of us should trust other people" he said a little too defensively.

And Beth leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and addressed the room, mockingly "Now you leave him alone ya'll" she said affectionately feeling a mixture of pride and amusement in defending her man.

"Damn woman, I don't need ya fightin my battles." He said gruffly but Beth knew he wasn't really serious since he put his arm around her and pulled her close to nestle against his side, sitting on the overstuffed sofa in front of the fireplace, feeling the heat radiate out from the crackling logs. They had built the fire earlier in the evening. Now that they were sitting down eating, the smell had elicited strong memories of campfire for nearly everyone there. Carl stated that he wanted marshmallows and Lily had seconded that and added hot dogs. Then they all started listing all the things they wanted.

"A big juicy steak with a baked potato and roasted corn on the cob" said Rick, practically salivating. Jenna piped up then, "A hamburger with pickles, ketchup, lettuce and mustard" she admitted and everyone murmured heartily their agreement.

"S'mores" said Daryl quietly and everyone groaned at that, and at the same time looked at Daryl in surprise. It was the last thing anyone had expected him to say. Beth looked at him for any hint of what he was feeling but his face was one of his carefully schooled expressions. She knew he would tell her later and she knew it would be a special moment between them. She was surprised he had mentioned it now.

Everyone suddenly looked down at their plate of rabbit stew and peaches. God, Daryl was getting so sick of peaches. The worst thing was that they had at least 90 more cans of them. It was Lily who started laughing first and then Carl joined in. Soon, everyone was cackling at their predicament. Rabbit stew against steak equaled no contest really.

Beth looked down at her plate of food and felt her stomach roil in protest. She had felt the same way that morning but she hadn't said anything to anyone. She had just skipped breakfast and begged off any probing questions, stating instead that she was just tired. She set her plate to the side and got up to go get some air. She was starting to feel quite claustrophobic.

Daryl saw the expression on her face and got up to follow her out. He knew there was something wrong with her that morning but she had just waved him off and told him she was tired.

"She okay?" asked Rick. Daryl nodded and caught Maggie's concentrated gaze. They exchanged a knowing glance. Beth had told him she had asked Maggie about what symptoms of early pregnancy were. Daryl followed Beth outside who was heaving over the side of the porch railing. He came up behind her and held her hair back from her face. Her whole body shook with violent retching and Daryl felt as if he might start heaving too but only because it felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. It was almost impossible to tell at this point and they had debated for a few days whether or not Beth should go ahead and take the pregnancy test they had gotten on a run a few days ago. But Beth had wanted to wait until they were relatively certain before they tried to confirm anything.

Beth knew realistically speaking she probably should have had a period by now. It had been literally more than a couple of months now. Which would mean that Beth could have gotten pregnant any time from the first time she and Daryl had made love.

Beth held the back of her hand to her mouth and stood up and faced Daryl, looking absolutely miserable. Daryl looked at her and pulled her against him, Beth tucking her head under his chin and wrapped her arms around his waist. He pulled her back to look at her. "It's going to be okay, Princess" he said.

She looked at him and her face was a canvas of worry, painted with lines that should not be etched for any length of time on her pale porcelain skin. "How do you know that?" she cried and she could not stop the tears that were already spilling over her lashes onto her cheeks.

He reached up and rubbed the pad of his thumb over her cheek, catching one tear and wiping it away. "Because I know. We'll deal with it. If you are, then we'll deal with it." He said to her even though his insides were a mess. His thoughts were racing and he was fighting hard to maintain his tough exterior. Beth was worried enough, she didn't need his worry on top of it. Daryl had never been in this situation before so it went without saying that he had no idea what to do about it. Daryl had never been one to talk about shit going on in his life before, but right now he thought he could really use a few minutes with Rick to mull this over with him. "Do you want to take the test now?" he asked her gently. She looked up at him and nodded her head. He wordlessly led her inside and upstairs. No one stopped them. He didn't think everyone was as stupid as they were playing. It was kind of easy to guess what was going on. They lived right on top of one another. He pretty much knew everyone's pissing schedule by now, he thought wryly. Beth walked into the bathroom right off their room and grabbed the test off the counter. She looked at him helplessly. "I'm just supposed to pee on it Maggie said". In that moment was when Daryl really wanted to kick the shit out of himself and for once he wished Merle were there to do it for him. She looked up at him and looked every bit the 19 she was instead of the wise beyond her years woman she had been in the last few weeks. Daryl was at a loss to her words. He knew that's what it was in theory, he'd seen enough movies and corny television shows but now that he was faced with the situation himself it seemed anything but a Hollywood moment. He was scared. For Beth, for himself for their possible unborn child.

Beth looked at him impatiently as if he was missing something. "What?" he asked her.

"Um Daryl, I can't pee with you watching me" she stated prissily.

He chuckled. "You can let me do all kinds of things to you in bed, but I can't watch you take a piss?" he asked incredulously. He swore he would never understand women. He shook his head and left the bathroom, choosing to wait in the bedroom.

She came out a few minutes later and held the test out for him to see. "What am I looking at?" he said.

Beth pulled out the instructions. "It says here that two pink lines mean you're pregnant". They both looked at the test and then looked at each other.

Daryl said what they were both thinking, "What does it say about two purple lines?" he said. Looking down at the test, the lines were very distinctly a dark pink or light purple hue.

"I think it means I'm pretty pregnant" said Beth and she sighed and looked at him trying to gauge his response. He seemed to think for a moment and then pulled her to him fiercely and kissed her head. It was as if he was trying to hold her in and hold his feelings in at the same time.

"I ain't gonna lie, Beth. I'm scared shitless". Daryl didn't have to say anything. Beth knew he was thinking of Lori. Lori had thought she would be okay. Beth refused to allow her mind to go there. It was unwise to borrow trouble; that's what Daddy had always said. Beth found that she drew a lot on life lessons her father had taught her, Maggie and Shawn over the years. Daryl continued, "But whatever happens, I think we can handle it. Look at everythin' that's happened to us so far and we're here now. Together. " Daryl placed a hand over her still flat belly. "This is our baby" he said. Beth put her hand over his and squeezed.

She was so relieved that Daryl was being so supportive. She had been so afraid that he would be upset or angry and she really didn't think she could take it. She had cried at the drop of a hat the past several days. Just when she didn't think she had enough tears left, she would find herself crying over the stupidest thing. She thought suddenly that this baby had taken over her entire mind and body already. She had always wanted to be a mom. And she certainly loved Judith as if she were her own. And now with everything that had happened she had never thought it would be possible. It just wasn't something that one would actually plan for, marriage, buying a house, having children. Those were ghosted elements of a haunted past life.

Daryl's ears had picked up a sound downstairs that was unfamiliar and familiar all at the same time. There were loud voices and a couple of crashes. He got up wordlessly and went to the door, warning Beth to stay put on the bed where she was. She looked at him with fear in her eyes but doing as she was told. It had gotten so that if Daryl had that look in his eye she did what she was told. It had saved her life on more than one occasion. Daryl cracked the door open just barely so he could maybe catch a glimpse of what was going on. He heard a man's gruff voice above the others. It had a definite southern Georgia drawl. Daryl definitely didn't recognize the voice. "Everybody over there against the wall" the voice demanded. "Do as I say and nobody gets hurt" and then the voice laughed raucously with others joining in on the private joke. "Yeah," I lied he said and Daryl decided he would call him shithead number one. His hand went to his side and he pulled his gun out of its holster, clicking the safety off. Whoever was down there, he didn't hear Rick's voice and that could only mean one thing. They had taken him out already. He was the biggest threat there besides him probably. Glenn was a good shot and was great at taking down walkers but Glenn hadn't had a lot of run ins with the living, only the Governor and his men and that hadn't turned out very well for any of them.

Daryl sent another warning glance over his shoulder ensuring that Beth was still sitting on the bed. She had taken her knife out of its sheath at her side and had it at the ready. Daryl crept to the stairs and missed all the creaks he had picked out the first couple days they had been at the lodge.

A second voice, shithead number 2, had joined in on the tirade. "Yeah, ya'll got a good set up here. We're gonna have us a party, aren't we Joe" Shithead two said, laughing at his own stupid joke. Daryl fought for calm trying to squelch the jagged shard of fear that had taken residence in the pit of his stomach. He had to keep a cool head. Practically everyone was counting on him right now. On second thought he motioned for Beth to follow him, handing her the spare gun he kept in the back of his jeans. He couldn't afford to leave her behind to her own devices. He'd rather have her with him where he could keep an eye on her, plus he had to admit that he needed her right now.

Beth took the pistol from Daryl and clicked off the safety like Daryl had shown her so many times when he had been training her. She was a little rusty on shooting, so she hoped she could do what she needed to do. She thought of Maggie downstairs and she was suddenly very, very afraid. She tried to banish all fearful thoughts and drew on the inner strength that was practically synonymous with the Greene name. She followed Daryl to the door. He motioned that he was going to go down the back stairwell and she followed him down the hall stepping where he did. She knew Daryl well enough to know that he was an excellent tracker and part of holding that title was also knowing how to be a silent hunter. It was all part of drawing in your prey.

They crept silently down the stairs and ended up in the kitchen which was just off the living area where everyone was gathered. Daryl crouched low at the vantage point behind the counter. No one was even looking in the kitchen but that could change at any time. Daryl counted three men that he could see but so far he had not seen shithead number one. Shithead number two was brandishing a knife in Jenna's face. He had to hand it to the girl. She was keeping her cool. She looked up at the guy fearlessly with her eyes set in a glassy stare. He had seen that look on her face before when they were taking out walkers around the lodge. She had rope around her wrists and so did Maggie, Glenn, Carl and Lily. Lily was softly sobbing and leaning against Carl.

Beth's heart broke listening to the girl crying. The protector in Beth really wanted to go to the girl but she knew she couldn't give away their vantage point. The element of surprise was the only thing they really had going for them right now.

Daryl shifted to the left just a little so he could peer further around the counter. He surveyed the room and finally could make out the end of Rick's boots before they disappeared behind the wall of the living area. He couldn't tell whether he was unconscious or dead at this point. He didn't think so, because Carl was keeping his cool. From where Daryl crouched, Carl could see him and they locked eyes. Daryl was instantly glad that Carl was keeping his expression blank, not giving anything away. Daryl thought reasonably, if Rick were dead, he knew the kid well enough to know that he would unleash a fury against these guys, consequences be damned.

Daryl heard the door to the lodge open and two figures burst in ahead of another one of their gang. Daryl was starting to lose count, especially when the two figures came into light. It was Michonne and Carol. His mind could hardly wrap around the situation at hand. He heard Carl and Glenn audibly gasp when they saw Michonne and Carol. Damn, it would have been easier if these guys couldn't see they all knew each other.

Joe, aka shithead number one, looked genuinely thrilled to see the women come in. Well what have we here. Shithead number four or five came in behind them. "I found these two hovering at the edge of the property." Daryl looked the women over. Carol looked terrified but Michonne looked positively pissed off. He noticed that her kitana was nowhere on her. He guessed they had taken it from her as he had never seen the woman without it. Her kitana was like Daryl's crossbow. Sacred.

Carol had a sizable knot on her forehead and was bleeding from it. She was clutching her side and Daryl noticed that blood was seeping out from between her fingers. What he had thought was terror on her face, was actually pain, he noted. Daryl bit back an audible string of curses and his fingers itched to just pull the trigger and start shooting and ask questions later. But there were children in there. And not knowing what was going on with Rick he had no idea what to do next. He figured he had to go with the information he had. And that was that it was him and Beth against all these guys. He had no idea what the hell to do. Daryl tried not to think about Beth and the baby at the moment. Putting feelings in with his survival instincts was likely to get them all killed. And Daryl was not about to let that happen.

**Hello my lovely readers! I love all you guys so much. Your reviews are a balm to my shipper soul. Seriously I open all your reviews each day with relish. I love, love, love them! I think I have said this before but they are like a drug. And I find that the more reviews I get, the more ideas for this story that I get. I hope you are not going to kill me with this cliffhanger. I know right! Beth is pregnant. They have no idea what they are going to do and Joe and his guys have taken them all hostage. The shit has definitely hit the fan. That's why the last chapter was so fluffy and the ones before that too. I have been planning this and working up to it. I just had to lay the groundwork first. So I am trying presently to decide if I want to broach the Lizzie/Mika subject. Honestly I want to kill Lizzie off the pages and keep Mika because I loved her so much. But I haven't decided and as always I am asking for your input. What do you think I should do? I will await your responses eagerly. I am still working on getting back to everyone from the last chapter. I had to work again. This work thing is really starting to get on my nerves. Hahaha Just kidding! Okay until next time. Xoxoxoxoxo **


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Carl met eyes with Daryl and he was trying to tell him silently that he was down for whatever Daryl had planned. He knew they could take these guys down and he had seen his dad and Daryl have that kind of communication plenty of times. He had been scared when the big guy called Joe had cold-cocked his dad. Then the other guy had placed a sleeper hold on his dad and he folded like a bad hand of cards. But now that he had a chance to watch him, his chest was rising and falling, albeit shallowly but at least Carl knew he was breathing. Carl thought it would sure be a cruel twist of fate for him and his dad to be reunited with Judith only for his dad to be taken from them. Yeah, fate was a hateful bitch, he thought.

Finally, he was able to get Daryl's attention. Daryl seemed to be telling him to wait for his signal. Carl fixed his gaze ahead. He had no trouble appearing pissed off as he had the sullen teenage angst expression perfected at this point. Carl thought he had seen a glimpse of Beth just over the top of the cabinet. He had seen them go upstairs earlier after Beth had been hurling on the porch. Carl guessed she was pregnant, by the heavy blanket of tension that fell over everyone in the room after she and Daryl had gone upstairs.

Joe and the other leader, Carl didn't know his name but thought he was a jerk. He kept leering at Maggie like she was something he'd like to eat. And that didn't set well with Carl. By the looks of it, it definitely didn't set well with Glenn.

"We are gonna have us some fun here Len" Joe said, running his hand over the top of Maggie's head and then Lily's, giving both of them a suggestive leer. Every muscle in Carl's body clenched up at that moment and he was working very hard to not clench his bound hands into fists. Over his dead body were they going to touch anybody here. An older greasy looking guy kept leering at him and Carl was horrified to realize that he had a thing for young boys evidently. Carl felt like he might throw up. He thought he had seen every evil thing this world could throw at him, but this was something new and Carl didn't want any part of it.

He kept his eyes trained on an invisible focal point on the wall. He could almost hear Daryl's thoughts from here. They didn't know Daryl Dixon, Carl thought. He was going to bring down a shit pile of hurt on their world he thought with a sense of satisfaction in the absolute faith he had in Daryl to carry that out.

Judith was crying and that was not a good thing because she never cried. Daryl ached to go pick up lil Ass Kicker and if he felt that way, he could only imagine how Rick felt, how Beth felt for that matter. "Somebody shut that brat up or we'll have Gary here do it. We can always take her back to camp with the black guy and the other two little brats. " Joe barked. Daryl's ears perked up at that news. He wondered fleetingly if he was referring to Tyreese or Bob and perhaps a couple of the kids that had been at Woodbury before the prison. The girls Carol had been taking care of; Mika and Lizzie, he remembered. Judith was in the pack and play and squalling for somebody to pick her up. She didn't like all the yelling. It was as if the little girl sensed that something bad was happening, something worse than usually went down among their group. Joe motioned to Michonne to pick the baby up. He barely had time to contemplate this before he was re-strategizing. He had been going to try to get Michonne's attention. He knew how good she was in hand-to-hand combat but now that she had the baby, there was no way that Daryl would jeopardize them.

Michonne walked over to the pack and play and picked the baby up and cuddled her against her side. Judith, sensing a familiar pair of arms, settled almost immediately. Michonne inhaled her soft sweet baby scent. Michonne had run into Carol and Tyreese on the road. Somehow Tyreese had ended up with Lizzie and Mika. At the time she had been so happy to see them and later Tyreese and her had a good laugh about how funny it was for a big strapping guy like him to be in charge of two little girls, one of them a tomboy and the other such a princess.

Daryl wondered for a moment what to do. Michonne was out, Rick was definitely out and Carol was clearly injured. And where the hell was this camp they talked about. He hoped it was a little bit farther than shouting distance. Because wherever it was, there had to be more of Joe's guys there. That left Carl who Daryl knew was just waiting on his word to act. And Beth. Michonne suddenly, as if reading Daryl's mind, leaned over with the baby as if she were in sudden pain. Judith didn't even cry and even Daryl had to admit that it was a pretty good act. He was convinced it was an act because as well as he knew Michonne, he knew even if she was injured, she would never let on that she was. Len walked over to her and ran his hand down over her back and on down over her ass. Daryl swallowed the lump of anger he felt. "Whatsa matter my Amazon lover" he said with a snarl. "You don't know pain til you've felt ole Len inside you" he said crudely while the others laughed.

Even though Carol was bleeding and clearly in bad shape, she sensed that Michonne was faking so she mustered up every bit of strength she had and reached for the baby who went to Carol quite easily, but then she had always been such a good baby. Carol was hurting bad but holding the baby released some endorphins that she thought had deadened. It gave her the fortitude to be able to sit with Judith in her lap as if there was nothing wrong. She watched carefully for her opportunity to free the rest of their group as soon as Michonne made her move.

Michonne waited until the asshole was distracted by running his slimy hand over her ass to reach around and grab his wrist and twisting it behind him. She heard a distinctive crack of the bone as she bent it beyond it's limits and then twisted upward in one fell swoop, effectively dislocating his shoulder and breaking both forearm bones at the same time. The bastard cried out like a wounded animal and pulled his arm into his body and curling over in a protective stance. Michonne took that opportunity to grab her kitana out of its sheath at his side and brought it down in a swift motion on top of his head and a fine spray of blood went into the air above Michonne's head which was then followed by a sickening thud of blade against bone as his head was split in two. At the same time, Michonne heard a shot and saw a figure fall to her left. Michonne kicked Len to the side and spat at his body "Whose claiming my sword now bitch" and turned to see who was next.

Daryl took the moment Michonne broke the guy's arm to motion to Beth to follow his lead and he walked in the room and aimed his pistol and fired at the guy closest to him first, hitting him square between the eyes.

Carol had reached over and freed Carl and then Maggie who then freed Jenna, Lily and Glenn. Now the odds were a little more even, thought Daryl, as he brought his pistol to the fat guy's head pulling the trigger, never once hesitating. These people were threatening his family. He had heard Beth come in behind him but now he had lost track of her. He realized then that she was coming back from the kitchen. She had helped Carol and baby Judith out of harm's way. A gun fight was no place for a baby. Beth had come back in the room when the greasy guy had grabbed her and shoved her down on the ground, Beth landing with a thud and hitting her head against the wall. It was that moment that Daryl saw red. He lunged at him, grabbing him by the throat. He had the sudden realization that shooting him would be too easy. No this guy was definitely going to suffer. He pummeled at his face and grabbed his knife out of the sheath at his boot. He brought the knife up above the prick and plunged it down into his fat laden stomach, blood spurting all over him. Fat guy's hands came up to his now gaping abdomen as if he could put everything back inside. Daryl sat back trying to catch his breath and glanced to his side watching as Maggie came up to Joe and kicked him in the chest knocking him back a few paces. He had still been lunging at Lily, the girl clearly terrified. She had no weapon and she was no physical match for a man Joe's size. "Get away from her you sick son of a bitch" Maggie kicked him to the ground and shot him in the chest as Glenn threw another punch at the guy he was fighting.

Daryl stabbed the guy again savagely above the first wound and shoved the knife further in to the hilt and bringing it up feeling each rip of muscle, ligament and tendon, the smell of fresh blood filling his nostrils, the sickly sweet smell turning his stomach. He looked right in the greasy asshole's eyes as he breathed his last breath and the light went out in his eyes. Daryl spat in his face and got up to go to Beth. There were no words harsh enough for the rage Daryl felt at having witnessed him throwing Beth to the ground. He was helping Beth to her feet when he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye.

Joe was staggering towards the door, clearly nursing a hell of a side wound. Someone had stabbed him and Daryl looked behind Joe to see Lizzie emerge from the shadows, holding a knife, covered in blood that was running in rivulets down to run off the tip of the blade; Joe's blood. Daryl had turned just in time to see Rick sit up, aim carefully and pull the trigger, dropping Joe like a fly. Lizzie sidestepped Joe's body falling to the floor and that's when Joe spotted Mika and Tyreese coming in the door behind Lizzie. Daryl looked at the girl holding the knife and thought, not for the first time, that she had dead eyes. She looked around like she wasn't really seeing anything that was really there. It was creepy, thought Daryl.

Daryl helped Beth back to the sofa and sat her down, inspecting her head wound. She was bleeding slightly and he reached in his back pocket for the bandana he always kept there. She stilled his hand. "I'm fine Daryl, really" she said giving him a watery smile. "Go see if Carol needs help" she shooed him away, but Daryl was not budging. Maggie had gone into the kitchen and helped Carol to her feet. Daryl surveyed the situation. Basically they had six dead assholes, an injured Beth. Rick didn't look any worse for wear. He figured the worst he had was a bad headache. Carol was another story though. She was bleeding quite a bit from beneath the rag Maggie had pressed to her side. But their group was intact. And now it was bigger. They now had Tyreese, Mika, Lizzie and Carol. It was going to get kind of cramped at the lodge now and when they got Carol patched up they would have to hit the road soon anyway.

Beth was suddenly exhausted. She and Daryl had barely had time to register the fact that they were going to be parents before their whole world they had built at the lodge over the past several days had come to a screeching halt. Beth had felt real fear at that moment. For herself, for Daryl, everyone else there, and for the life she now carried inside her. Daryl was refusing to leave her side and since everyone was now calming down somewhat, Beth let Daryl dote over her as he wiped at her forehead, cleaning off the blood gingerly trying not to press too hard on the knot that had formed there. She could see that Glenn, Carl, Jenna and Rick were carrying the bodies of the guys outside. She guessed they were probably making sure none of them turned either. Lily was helping tend to Judith while Maggie was trying to stop the bleeding coming from Carol's wound although Daryl thought it had slowed considerably. Carol was breathing more easily and it was clear that there was not much else that could be done at the moment except to apply pressure to it.

Daryl continued to wipe at Beth's forehead long past the time that he finished cleaning up the blood, needing an excuse to touch her and make certain that she was okay. He resisted the urge to place his hand over her belly, to assure himself that his unborn child was safe too. Beth reached up and stilled his hand. "It's okay Daryl". Beth whispered to him and looked up into his eyes. His usually dark blue eyes were turned on her now and searching hers for any sign of pain. Finding none, Beth could almost see the moment when her Daryl returned. It was as if he had pulled a curtain over the other darker side of his personality; the one that he kept hidden. Beth was suddenly glad that she would never be on the receiving end of that fury that he reserved for times like this. Even at that, she had never seen him like he had been with the guy who had tried to assault her. She saw what Daryl had done to him. The guy had definitely deserved it but Beth would be lying if it didn't make her a little bit sick looking at his body. She was glad when Carol and Tyreese carried him outside and she visibly shuddered and sighed. Daryl, sensing the fear that had suddenly made her spine go stiff, then placed his hands on either side of her face and leaned in to whisper to her. "You're safe now, Princess".

Michonne looked over with mild surprise at the tenderness with which Daryl looked at Beth and the term of endearment he had just used when addressing her. And then on second thought it really wasn't all that shocking. She had seen the way Beth had looked at him sometimes. She knew at the time that Daryl didn't really consider her to be an equal as a companion but evidently something big had happened to change his perspective. She was going to look very forward to see how all this developed in the time since they had all been separated. Michonne looked at Carol to see if she noticed what was going on, but Carol had her eyes closed tight, clearly concentrating on pushing the pain away. She was oblivious to anything going on in the room. Michonne was worried and not for the first time since Len had stabbed her in the side when Carol had tried to shoot him. She hoped that the stupid bastard had pierced something vital when he had stabbed her.

Daryl stroked Beth's hair back from her face and Beth turned her face into his palm, placing a soft kiss into his wrist. He looked at Beth and while Daryl had never been fond of public displays and all that, he cupped her face in his hands and leaned into her, claiming her lips with his and he didn't care who saw and who cared. She parted her lips slightly giving herself to him and he lightly teased her lips with the very tip of his tongue and slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her a bit more deeply but slowly. He ended the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers, breathing in the scent of her, relishing the fact that she was okay and in his arms and he intended to keep her that way. As long as Daryl Dixon drew breath, Beth would be safe, whether that be from the dead or from the living. To Daryl the result was the same. Beth was his family and he would die to save her. And their baby.

**AN: How did we get here? Chapter 30 already! It seemed like I had just gotten to chapter 20. Time flies I guess. And I AM having fun writing this. I have had a little bit of negativity mainly via private messages, mostly surrounding Maggie but a good author accepts all forms of criticism, right. Anyway, I am still having fun and I have really been enjoying the reviews. Okay so that brings me to this chapter. It's totally okay to say it sucked and demand a rewrite. I am very apprehensive to write action scenes, mainly because I suck so badly at them so that means I also lack confidence so if you hate the chapter, please be kind in your ranting. Lol Seriously though, I would love lots of reviews to feed my review addiction. Until next time, xoxoxo **


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Everyone was hovered over Carol when she awoke. Her side hurt terribly but it had at least eased off to a dull ache instead of that sharp hot lightning pain she had been feeling before she finally passed out. As she opened her eyes, she saw everyone's worried faces and tried to speak but at first her voice sounded like old tires on rough gravel. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I'm not dead am I?" she asked, smiling weakly and everyone laughed.

"That's the Carol we know" soothed Michonne. Rick was standing off to the side, eyeing her warily. And she knew why. She knew he probably would never trust her again after she had told him she had been the one to kill Karen and David. She wished she could tell him the truth but she knew that wasn't possible.

She looked around for Daryl and found him sitting by Beth on the sofa. He had his arm around her and she was leaning on his shoulder, having fallen asleep. She had a vague memory before she had passed out of Daryl kissing Beth. She had wondered at the time that she might have imagined it but it appeared that her eyes were not playing tricks on her. It was clear from Daryl's posture that he was in protective mode. And Carol didn't know if she had ever seen Daryl in this kind of role before. It was kind of endearing watching him hold Beth in his arms while she slept. There was something very sweet about it and she couldn't deny that it warmed her heart.

There had been a time that she had wondered if Daryl would ever make a move on her. But as Carol got to know him better, she realized that he was just not that kind of guy, the kind that had a quick roll in the bed, which was about all Carol was up for. After everything she had gone through with Ed and losing Sophia, she couldn't see herself with anyone anymore for any length of time. It was as if that part of her had died with Sophia. When she had been banished from the prison, it had almost been a relief except for the fact that she had been worried about Mika and Lizzie. She had sworn to their father that she would look after them as her own and she had. Carol somehow believed that where she had failed Sophia, she could maybe make up for it with Lizzie and Mika; like she was being given a second chance. But when Carol had found Lizzie standing over Karen and David's bodies, having just killed them with the knife that Carol had shown her how to use so many times, she knew she might have taken on too much, especially where Lizzie was concerned.

She didn't think anyone else knew how sick Lizzie was, except for maybe Mika. The sweet little girl had taken on the role of caregiver of her sister ever since their father had died. It was almost as if she was the oldest and Lizzie was the younger baby sister that needed coddling. Carol really didn't know what they were going to do with her. Lizzie clearly didn't need to be around other people. Oddly enough, Lizzie had seemed more at home talking to the walkers along the fence line back at the prison than she had ever been with any of their group.

When Carol had found her with Karen and David, the cell a blood bath, Carol had done the only thing she could. She had prevented them from turning by quickly plunging her knife into each of their skulls. Then she had dragged the bodies outside, burning them to hide the evidence. Carol tried now to block the memory from her mind. She didn't think she would ever get the sickening smell of Karen and David's bloody and then burned bodies out of her nose. It was as if they had become a part of her.

Lizzie and Mika were sitting by Carol's head and Carol turned so she could see them better. They clearly were worried about her. She smiled softly at her girls, as that was how she had come to think of them now. "Mo-" Mika began then corrected herself. "Carol you're okay. We were so scared". Mika was wide eyed with tears in her eyes. And Carol didn't miss the girl's salutation, remembering with a pain how Lizzie had almost called her Mom a few weeks ago.

"You can't call her Momma, Mika" Lizzie said pragmatically. "Remember?" and Mika nodded her head sagely.

"S'okay, girls" Carol said. After all they had been through, what was the harm in them actually calling her Momma. "You can call me Momma if you want". She knew she had told them differently before, but the love she felt for these girls _was_ a mother's love. Mika beamed at her and leaned down and hugged her around the neck tightly. Carol laughed, the feeling eliciting a sharp pain in her side and she then winced.

"I'm sorry Momma, am I hurting you?" implored Mika, her eyes wide with worry.

"No love, it's just that man hurt me and I'm kind of sore". Carol explained and looked around at the group again. Maggie was sitting by her side and was binding her waist with pieces of a ripped bed sheet. "Thanks Maggie" Carol said and Maggie smiled at her as she finished patching her up. "You'd do it for me" Maggie replied simply.

Carol tried to sit up and felt the searing pain. Glenn handed her a bottle of whiskey and she stared at him incredulously, wondering where on earth had had gotten it. Glenn grinned and said "I found it in the basement the other day". Carol looked around at where they were and took a gulp of the liquid, feeling the burn all the way down to her stomach and then passed the bottle back to Glenn. He passed it to Rick who also took a swallow of it.

She and Michonne had set off to go after Joe and his guys after they left them tied up in the tent where they were camping. Tyreese had untied them and stayed with the girls while Michonne and Carol went after them. The plan had been to hunt them down and not give them a chance to come back and finish them off or worse from what it had sounded like. Carol hadn't thought they would try anything with Lizzie or Mika because they were still little girls, but she hadn't been willing to take that chance. The thought of what those men had planned to do to her and Michonne made her stomach turn. But then that prick Len had found them and they thought it was all over at that point. "So anybody want to tell me how you came to find this place?" Carol looked around at the lodge appreciatively. It was very nice and she speculated that back in its day, it had probably been quite the spot for camping and horseback riding. The place was a little run down now but she could tell that it had a lot of potential.

Rick broke in at this. He had been watching Carol as she woke up and took in the scene around her. He wondered for at least the tenth time since he had seen her and Michonne in the doorway how she had found their group. Knowing Carol she had probably been nearby when the prison fell. She loved Mika and Lizzie as her own. Still what she had done to Karen and David; Rick could not abide it and he didn't know if he would ever be able to trust her again. The only people who knew the truth were him and Daryl. He hadn't had time to tell everyone yet, least of all Tyreese. Tyreese was sitting by Carol's side on the floor. He had an expression on his face that Rick couldn't quite read.

He dismissed all thoughts of Karen and David and addressed her question. "Well we stumbled upon Beth and Daryl a couple weeks ago in an abandoned cabin by the railroad tracks". He gestured to Jenna who was sitting by Carl and Lily, who were playing with baby Judith who seemed content to pull Jenna's ponytail all the while cooing softly. Jenna was making faces at the baby and making her laugh. Rick stifled the urge to laugh at Jenna himself. It was hard to reconcile the woman whom he had been buried inside of a couple of nights ago with the woman who was now sitting here making funny faces at his infant daughter. He and Jenna had been meeting almost nightly and he didn't think anyone besides Daryl suspected what was going on between them.

"Then we found Maggie, Glenn and Judith a few days later". Rick explained. Everyone was making quick introductions, trying to get acquainted with their new group. Lily and Jenna were the only ones new to the group but everyone was chatting easily now that the urgent matter of danger was past.

Daryl looked down at sleeping Beth, his Beth, and was grateful for whatever stroke of fate had befallen them. He had been worried about the baby and what it was going to bring to their world but if he and Beth hadn't gone upstairs to take the pregnancy test it was hard to tell what might have happened. It could have just as easily have been Beth that had been stabbed with a knife. Daryl knew that he had never been more thankful for a pregnancy test in his whole life. He was glad too for Michonne and Carol. He had met Carol's eyes a little while ago and he knew that she had killed Karen and David and honestly Daryl knew he was not okay with the whole situation. He had wondered many times what had possessed Carol to do something like that. It seemed out of character for her. He had known her since almost the beginning of the turn. Maybe Daryl would have a chance to talk to her sometime soon.

Beth stirred under him and stretched a little. He released his hold on her a bit and was aware of the instant she awoke because her normally relaxed posture stiffened up at taking in the sight of everyone in the room.

Beth awoke and for an instant she was blissfully unaware of her surroundings and what had just transpired just a couple of hours before. She slid her hand to her stomach, remembering suddenly that she didn't just have herself to think about now. She sat up and tried to rearrange her hair back into a ponytail and Daryl moved his hand to hers, stilling it and saying "Let me". He gathered her hair away from her face and pulled it back in a messy ponytail and secured it with the hair tie. Daryl realized that it was hopelessly disarrayed but he also knew she had never looked more beautiful to him.

He guessed they had an audience because Rick piped up. "Daryl remind me to never let you fix Judy's hair" and he laughed at his own joke, earning a steely gaze from Daryl. But Rick knew better. Daryl saw the amused glint in Rick's eyes as he replied, "Brother, keep it up and I'll be fixing your hair next". It was an empty threat and Rick laughed easily. Mika giggled at them both, evidently finding it hilarious that the two adults were being so silly. "You can fix my hair Mr. Daryl". Mika said easily.

Daryl and Rick both turned to look at the little girl. Rick could not conceal his glee with how the conversation had turned and Daryl heard Beth chuckling. Daryl honestly didn't know what to say to the little girl so he just looked at her and tried not to scowl. He couldn't have her crying on him.

Beth answered for him instead, "Mika I can do your hair for you if you want. Do you like French braids?" she asked the little girl.

"What's a French braid" asked Mika, the hope in her eyes apparent.

Beth laughed at Mika's expression. She looked at Beth like she held the world's secrets. "It's just a fancy braid and I'm pretty good at it. I can do it later if you want" and Mika nodded eagerly.

Michonne handed the bottle to Beth. "Need this for your headache?" she asked and Beth looked at her like a deer caught in headlights. Beth just shook her head. "I'm okay, but thank you Michonne" and she passed the bottle to Daryl exchanging a wordless gaze with him. She knew he was thinking about the baby.

"Nobody's checking ID's Beth" Carol joked and everyone laughed, but she didn't miss the look between Daryl and Beth. Oh there was definitely something going on with them. Her curiosity was winning out over the tiny jealous feeling she had earlier.

Beth moved to stand up and Daryl gave her space but stood close to her in case she needed him. Beth looked up at him lovingly. She loved this man but his hovering was making her nervous. She placed her hand on his arm for support. "I'm fine Daryl, I promise" she said and whispered for his ears only "I'm not going to break, ya know." She meant the words with no malice. He looked down at her and his expression was so sweet it was almost heartbreaking.

"I know, but it's better ta be safe than sorry" Daryl said. The living daylights had been scared out of him when he saw her hit the floor. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Beth. Not again. Not now that he knew how good she was and how she made him a better man.

She knew he was nervous about her injury and about the baby. She sighed thinking that it was going to be a very long pregnancy with him hovering over her all the time. But she couldn't deny that part of her was secretly thrilled that he was doting on her. Who knew that Daryl had this soft side to him? And then again it wasn't that hard to imagine. He had always been so protective of their group, going out of his way to keep everyone safe. It wasn't hard to see how far he would take that loyalty when he loved someone, which Beth knew he did. Somehow Beth knew that when Daryl had confessed his love to her, that he would love her forever. And that warmed her heart to no end.

**AN: Hey everyone! I am so pleased with the reviews that I got on the last Chapter. Yay, everyone liked it! You guys overwhelm me with your praise. A good overwhelm I promise! This chapter hopefully let you know a little bit about what is going on with Carol and her thought process. And yes creepy Lizzie is back. I decided that her story deserves to be heard a little further. And Mika is just too precious for words! I just had to have her in my story because she is so sweet and innocent and didn't deserve to die such a horrible death. Sorry there were no updates over the weekend, but again I had to work. So here is this chapter to hopefully keep you company until I update later tonight hopefully. Review, review, it spurs me to write more! Until next time, Xoxoxoxo. **


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

It had gotten quite late by the time everyone had gotten settled in after cleaning up and Carol, Michonne, Lizzie, Mika and Tyreese worked out their sleeping arrangements. Judith had long ago started sleeping in the pack and play in Rick and Carl's room and Carl listened for her when his dad had watch duty. Michonne and Carol decided to sleep in the same room with Lizzie and Mika while Tyreese had a room to himself, which was fine since the lodge had plenty of room and then some.

Carol knew she was going to have to share with someone what had happened with Lizzie at the prison. No one knew that Rick had banished her, except for maybe Daryl, she thought, her brow furrowing in displeasure at the thought. What he must think of her now, she could hardly imagine. Now that they had met back up with everyone though she was going to have to tell them the truth so they could all decide to what to do about Lizzie. She now regretted the decision that she had made trying to take care of things herself. At the time, she had been trying to protect Lizzie just as she would have with Sophia. But as time wore on, Carol knew that it had been a poor choice, especially after seeing her stand over Joe's body last night. She had a look of extreme satisfaction on her face as she held the dripping knife. Carol had never felt good about killing walkers, let alone actual people. She knew Lizzie was sick and wasn't sure how long it had gone on but she suspected it had started long before the turn. The turn had probably accelerated whatever natural course her mental illness would eventually take.

She thought about all this as she helped get the girls settled in the bunk beds in the room, which had evidently been designed for a family. There was a rugged looking set of bunk beds made out of natural pine and there was also a fold out sofa and a queen size bed. It was decided since Carol was injured that she should sleep on the bed. Michonne had first watch anyway so it was kind of pointless to leave the bed sitting empty for half the night. Carol thought again about telling Michonne before she went for her shift, but then Mika had begged for a story until Carol finally relented. She had read stories to the children all the time at the prison and she didn't have any books now but on their nights on the road, Carol would often soothe them to sleep with stories she crafted from her own imagination. Wonderful stories that told of princesses that saved themselves instead of waiting for a prince to come. In Carol's stories, the women were always strong and they found their true love by saving themselves from whatever fate was thrown their way. So as Carol told the story, Mika and Lizzie both fell asleep and Carol soon followed, dreaming her own dreams, fitful and dark and they were not even remotely as pleasant as the stories she weaved for the little girls.

* * *

Beth readied herself for bed, standing on "her side". It was funny how they had naturally claimed their sides and who would turn off the light before they went to sleep. All the little things that made a relationship so intimate. Because though sex was intimate, Beth thought sometimes that there was nothing more sacred than watching Daryl do something simple like take off his pants and shirt at the end of the day, watching his muscles ripple with the motions. Beth knew that she got to see the Daryl that got hidden from the rest of the world. Somehow Beth had broken through that tough exterior and chipped away at the surface, revealing a kinder, gentler, softer Daryl Dixon. And if he knew she was thinking of the words soft and gentle while describing him in her reverie he would be sure to say or do something to negate it, she thought smiling to herself.

But Daryl had been watching her. "What are you smiling about Princess? " he asked her gruffly, his voice hoarse from lack of sleep over the past couple of days.

Busted, thought Beth. "Nothing" she said, smiling at him softly as she slipped her pants over her hips, letting them fall to the floor. She picked up one of Daryl's shirts and slipped it on, buttoning the middle three buttons and leaving the rest open, knowing that it exposed her in all the right places but covered her up enough to make Daryl want her more. She then reached up and slid her panties off, letting them land on top of her pants. She sat down on the bed and slowly rotated her body around so she could get under the covers, waiting for Daryl to get in and pretending to ignore his eyes roving over her body now. Even after the short time they had been together, Beth was starting to get what turned him on. She knew her wearing his shirt and nothing else drove him crazy. She didn't do it too often so it wouldn't get boring and then she had to really stifle a giggle because she knew that this would never get boring with Daryl.

He got in the bed and was hovered over her in an instant. He positioned his hands on either side of her head and leaned down kissing her neck mercilessly. "You will tell me what is so funny" he demanded, trying to hold back his own laughs. She squealed with delight and he began to tickle her.

"No fair" she said. "You know how ticklish I am. It's my truth serum." She said breathlessly.

"Then tell me woman" he said, continuing to tickle her. "Or I'll bring out the big guns" he warned. And Beth looked at him her eyes wide, knowing what he meant. "You wouldn't" she breathed.

He grinned at her, raising his eyebrows and giving her a wicked stare. Whenever he was trying to get Beth to ply to his will, he would sometimes playfully spank her. It always ended with the same thing; Beth begging him to stop and then she would attack him with passion, demanding that he fuck her then and there. It turned her on to no end and Beth muttering those words drove Daryl crazy as well. It had seemed like it was uncharacteristic of her at first but the only time she ever used any profanity was in the bedroom and he found it sexy as hell.

The first time he had ever done it, Beth had been appalled at her reaction. She had never thought that spanking would be a sexual turn on, but for whatever reason, the play spankings Daryl gave her, the ever so slight tingle of his palm against her bare skin, that sensation that bordered on pleasure and pain, thrilled her to no end and drove her absolutely wild with desire. It was a fun game they liked to play and Beth's orgasm was usually especially explosive when they did.

Beth relented and finally told him that she thought he might like it when she wore his shirts. He looked at her in wonder. Daryl thought he was being so sly about sneaking glances at her in his shirt. Was he really that transparent when it came to Beth? He thought he must if she had been able to read him that easily every time she slipped on one of his shirts. He had thought it many times and wanted to ravish her and now, he thought, he would. "You little minx, you knew?" he said incredulously as she laughed and he leaned down, capturing her mouth with his and angling his head so he could deepen their kiss. All of the sudden, the light mood and teasing and bantering fell away and his looks of amusement were replaced with a fiery lust, his eyes searing into hers.

Beth gasped and parted her lips as he descended upon them again and splayed his hand over her ribs and reaching to unbutton the shirt, allowing it to fall away from her shoulders. All the fun and laughing was forgotten for the time being as they gave in to their passion and did something life-affirming after the night they had just had.

* * *

Beth awoke early to discover that Daryl was still beside her. She was secretly pleased. It was not often that she awoke before him. He usually rose first to go hunt or fix everyone some breakfast. It had kind of become his thing. Beth supposed it was an ingrained process from his early days of survival with and without Merle. So to have him with her in the morning, Beth felt a thrill in her heart. She looked over at him. He was curled on his side, his arm draped protectively over Beth's middle. She hadn't thought that she was going to get used to sleeping next to someone so easily but it was surprising how comfortable she felt with Daryl.

Beth shifted slightly trying to get more comfortable. Her stomach growled and she cringed as he stirred beside her. Leave it to her stupid stomach to give away the fact that she was awake. Daryl opened his blue eyes and looked at her. This was Beth's favorite moment, the Daryl with his guard down from sleep and watching him wake up, the veil of his hard exterior slipped away from the surface as his eyes met hers and he looked at her so lovingly. If things were different and the dead weren't walking the earth, Beth believed he might be able to keep that expression all the time. But it usually wasn't long after getting up that Daryl's defenses slipped back into place. Beth knew that if all this was ever over and she and Daryl both survived that she could break down those walls he had erected over time. It had taken his whole life to build them, but given the right time and circumstances, Beth knew she could tear them down.

"Hungry, Princess?" Daryl asked her sleepily.

She nodded her head yes, remembering suddenly the conversation everyone had been having last night before she had gotten sick and then the awful men had come in. Daryl had mentioned that he liked S'mores. She was dying to know now and so she brought it up. She knew that he had been waiting to tell her when they were alone. His past was something that he only ever talked about with Beth.

"One summer me and Merle were put in foster care. The mom was really nice and so was the dad. They had two other kids that were grown and out of the house. The dad took me and Merle camping one weekend. Me and Merle had camped with the old man plenty, but this dad pulled out all the stops. He brought hot dogs and I remember wondering what you could make out of hot dogs, graham crackers, marhsmallows and chocolate. Then he showed me and Merle how to trim down our own sticks with the pocket knives he gave us. Then we roasted those marshmallows and he showed us how to make them, the s'mores. It was the best thing I had ever tasted" Daryl remembered, almost salivating at the memory now. It was one of the few good memories of his whole childhood.

"Mmmm, yeah" Beth's mouth watered and her stomach grumbled at the same time. "I'd do anything for one now" said Beth. She wondered absently if this was a pregnancy craving. She sincerely hoped not. Pregnancy cravings in an apocalyptic world. What if she started craving something like Taco Bell?

"Me too" said Daryl. "Course it was years after that before I could eat them again. I ate so many that night, I threw up" and Beth looked at him trying to keep a straight face. But Daryl gave in; he knew it was funny so he laughed and that gave her license to give in to the fit of giggles she was seized with. "Poor baby" she said, kissing him on the cheek. "I promise if we find stuff to make them, I won't let you get sick this time" she vowed grinning at him. "Because I will probably eat them all. Now I want s'mores." She groaned thinking of how impossible that was.

So his girl wanted S'mores. She had never asked him for anything before, not that he could recall. And he meant to get her those ingredients. And he had an idea. Now he just had to put it in into place.

**Hi everyone, thank you for reviewing. I cannot get over how kind you guys are. I am still working on individual replies to reviews and PMs but I will get to them eventually I promise. This is a kind of light chapter, but I thought it was in order since they just had to deal with so much and as you can imagine, the more people they meet up with and find and possibly new people to join them, the more complicated their situation is going to get. Plus if they go to Sanctuary Station or SS (Terminus) there is bound to be new conflict. So hope you don't mind my shameless Bethyl moments. Enjoy and review, pretty please. Until next time, Xoxoxoxo **


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Beth and Daryl were still snuggling and talking when it hit her. She had been thinking about S'mores one minute and the next she was reaching for the trash can she had sitting by the bed the past several mornings. Daryl got up and poured water over a wash cloth they kept for just these times, placing the cloth over the back of her neck and pulling her hair back away from her face. He waited until she was finished heaving and laid back and laid her head against his shoulder. She looked up at him, her expression one of misery. "Poor Princess," Daryl said, smoothing the hair back from her forehead and placing a kiss there. Their morning routine had been somewhat interrupted this morning. A couple of mornings now, he thought. Whenever they woke at the same time, they usually made love in the morning. The mornings were usually when it was the slowest and most tender. At night, they were tired, frustrated, the day's events piled upon them and needing a quick release. But mornings had long been a time of rediscovery and reverence of the love they shared. Daryl placed his hand over her tummy, protectively and in wonder.

"This little bugger is really wanting to make his or her presence known" he said thoughtfully and Beth smiled sweetly at him. She loved when he talked about the baby. Their baby. There was something incredibly special and private about these moments they shared, especially now that they had a baby on the way.

"Yes, she is" Beth said with conviction and Daryl looked at her surprised.

"Am I missin' somethin' darlin?" he said, his face a mask of confusion. He didn't know much about pregnancy but he was pretty sure they couldn't tell yet if at all since there were no hospitals and no doctors anymore.

Beth chuckled softly at his puzzled expression. "No you're not missing anything baby." She assured him and pressed a kiss to his neck. "I just have a feelin' that's all". She said mysteriously, but she looked pretty convinced of the words.

Daryl really didn't have a preference one way or the other for a girl or boy. At this point, he was praying for healthy and safe. Daryl was not usually a praying man but it seemed the events of the past couple of days had him calling out an oath or a plea to God, which one he wasn't sure, especially now that Beth was pregnant. He wondered whether or not they would be telling anyone yet. "Are we gonna tell people?" he asked her.

"Well I think we probably should. But as sick as I have been the past couple of days, it wouldn't be surprising if everyone knew. But maybe we should make an announcement so no one is left in the dark. But," she interrupted herself fixing him with a steely gaze. "Don't tell anyone until I tell Maggie". She warned.

He laughed mirthlessly. "Do you take me for the stupidest man alive Princess?"

"No, but she will kill me if I don't tell her before I tell everyone else. I don't think she would ever forgive me. We have talked about having children since we were little. We used to play dolls together all the time".

Daryl pulled at the braid in her hair. Mika had put in in last night before bedtime. She was a quick study of learning braids. Lizzie wouldn't let her do her hair and Lily wouldn't either, so Beth took pity on her and showed her how to do a French braid on her hair. Mika had picked it up in no time. Daryl thought now that Beth would have looked adorable carrying a baby doll around with her sister. It was easy to see Beth as a mom who would incorporate those memories into their own child's life. "You're going to be a great mom, Beth" he said and he meant it. She was so great with Lil Ass Kicker. He just knew that Beth was going to take to motherhood like a fish to water.

Beth smiled at him and replied "Well Mr. Dixon, you're going to make an awesome daddy." Daryl frowned at her and she could almost see the wheels turning in his head. He looked away at the wall as she spoke the words. "Hey." She said softly and turned his face gently toward hers, placing her hand on the side of jaw. "You're not him." She said.

"Who?" Daryl said, pretending not to know what she was talking about, but his pained expression spoke volumes.

"Your father. You're nothing like him. You've never laid a hand on Lil Ass Kicker or me or anyone else. In fact, you go out of your way to provide and protect your family. All your family". Daryl knew that Beth was speaking of everyone that they shared their lives with. The group. Rick, Michonne, Carl, all of them. "You would die for any of us. And I know for a fact that you'd rather cut off your own hand rather than hurt anyone" and then Beth realized her mistake as soon as it was out of her mouth. She could not believe she had said that. Her face turned about fifty shades of red and then she was apologizing. "I'm sorry Daryl". He looked at the serious expression on her face and he had to laugh. She really thought he was that sensitive. Merle and his hand were a thing of the past. Something that he didn't give much thought to anymore.

Beth stared at him, laughing at such a serious matter and she wondered if her boyfriend had suddenly lost his mind.

"Beth, it's okay" he reassured her. "I'm so over all that. I know what you're tryin' to say and part of me knows you are right" he admitted. "It's just that I am so afraid of becoming my old man, I get scared sometimes. I want to do right by you and the baby".

"That's what you're worried about? You already have done right by me. Don't you see that?" Beth said. "I had a crush on you for the longest time, which you know since you read my diary that time" she couldn't resist teasing him. Besides that, a lot of good had come from that. She knew they wouldn't have come as far as they had if he hadn't read her diary and then subsequently later exchanged many notes and songs in the notebook he had found. "All those times I thought about you and the possibility of an "us", it was never as good as this is." She gestured to both of them and placed her hand over his heart. "You have more than exceeded my expectations of a relationship with you. What are we anyway?" she asked him. "I've been meaning to ask you. We don't really qualify as dating" she said practically.

Daryl rubbed his hand over the scruff on his chin, mulling over what she had just said. "Yeah, you're right about that. Not a lot of places to go on dates" he admitted, still thinking. This thought had actually plagued him late at night while she slept and he was awake thinking about everything. He had a sudden spark of an idea and got out of bed, naked as the day he was born and got down on one knee beside her side of the bed. He knew he would never forget the look of surprise on her face. He quickly reached for his pants for his knife and the ball of twine he always kept. He cut off a small piece and took Beth's small delicate hand into his larger, stronger one. He looked up at her, finding her eyes brimming with unshed tears, but she was smiling behind them so he knew she was okay. They were happy tears as she called them.

"Beth" he began and then faltered. "Ah hell." And Beth laughed. She didn't think she had ever heard that in a proposal before. And unless she was missing something, that's exactly what he was doing, down on one knee.

"You make me happier than I know I ever have been. More than I ever deserved. But if you would do me this honor, I will work every day to make you proud of me and make you as happy as you make me. Beth Greene, will you marry me?", he said waiting for her response.

Beth's tears spilled down her cheeks and she wiped at them furiously with the back of her free hand. She nodded her head up and down furiously, unable to answer at first. "Yes, Daryl Dixon, I will marry you." She said, finally finding her voice. Beth watched as he tied a small piece of twine on her ring finger, making a makeshift ring.

As soon as he finished he pulled her into his arms, pulling her hard against him as her arms went around his neck. "But Daryl," she said against his neck, whispering it. "You do deserve this. And I am so proud of you. And most of all, I am happy. Happier than I have ever been."

This only served to make him hug her longer. He breathed in the scent of her, in wonder. She had said yes. Nothing else in this whole world mattered to him anymore. Beth Greene had just agreed to marry him.

**AN: Okay so there you have it, the next part of the story. I hadn't been planning a marriage proposal but these crazy characters have minds of their own. I kept thinking no but it demanded to be written and it actually fits with the next part of the story just perfectly. ;) Hope you liked this chapter. It is definitely fluffy and all I can say is I am not even sorry. I poured all my Bethyl feels into this chapter. October has never seemed so far away. I shudder to think of what the fandom is going to be doing come August and September. I have a feeling it will reach a fever pitch. Because my Bethylers it has never been this good before and our once seeming crack ship looks like it is all repaired and ready to set sail. Yay! So review, review please. Believe it or not your reviews do influence my decisions somewhat. Until next time, xoxoxoxoxo **


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Daryl and Beth walked down the stairs to the lodge hand in hand an hour later. Beth needed something in her stomach before she threw up so leaving the bedroom was definitely a must although they probably could have gotten away with staying there all day after the night everyone had. The mood was very guarded downstairs. Carol seemed much better. Evidently it had been little more than a flesh wound. Everyone was sitting down to a breakfast of oatmeal. Daryl frowned and Beth looked over at him anticipating his reaction. It was his thing, the oatmeal. Beth squeezed his hand and his expression softened. They had needed the time that morning. Everyone was gathered in the dining room, a room that they hadn't needed until now. Their group had practically doubled overnight so they needed the extra space for meals now. Everyone was seated and Beth and Daryl paused inside the door.

Beth took a deep breath. They had decided that she would be the one to make their announcement. Well announcements she guessed. "We have an announcement to make." Beth began. Everyone turned to look at the two of them. You could have heard a pin drop in the room, thought Beth. She laughed nervously. "Wow, I don't think I have ever heard this group this quiet." Beth joked and everyone laughed good naturedly.

Maggie smiled softly at her sister. She had pretty much figured out what Beth was going to say. She and Glenn had been talking about it. She had every symptom of pregnancy from what her Dad had told her.

Beth took her cue from Maggie's smile and began again, this time her voice strong and sure. She could kiss her sister right now. She didn't know why she was so nervous except that this was her first grown up relationship. She just didn't want anyone telling them, especially Daryl, that they shouldn't do this. "Daryl and I are having a baby". She said. If Beth had predicted anything it wasn't the open happiness and joy that everyone was suddenly expressing. Everyone got up and began to come over and hug them both, which was amusing to watch since Daryl was not much of a hugger. But no one could deny that they were caught up in the moment.

Beth was laughing easily and hugging her sister. "I knew it, Bethie. You just have a glow". Maggie said hugging her sister back.

Beth groaned. "Ugh, it's been horrible Mags. I have been so sick. I don't know how I could possibly be glowing unless it is green." They both laughed at that. Beth tried to get everyone's attention again. She hadn't even had the time to tell everyone about their engagement.

Daryl, seeing her predicament, whistled loudly so everyone in the room would listen. Instead of letting Beth take the floor though, Daryl spoke up. "I asked Beth to marry me, and she said yes". Beth then held up her ring finger for everyone to see, laughing as she did. But honestly Beth would rather have this twine ring that Daryl tied on her finger himself than any diamond in the world. Whoever said diamonds were a girl's best friend had never met Daryl Dixon, she thought, smiling up at her future husband. But what he said next would stun everyone, including Beth. "Well since there are no churches anymore or preachers for that matter and I suppose that's what an occasion like this calls for. Well, we are just going to be married" he said using air quotes. "If and when this mess ever gets straightened out, we will do it up proper. But for now, you can consider us husband and wife. Cause that's what we are. Especially now that we have a baby on the way. So let me introduce everyone to my wife, Beth Greene-Dixon." Everyone was speechless until Beth piped up, her voice hoarse from tears. "Actually it's just Beth Dixon" she said smiling up at her husband with tears running down her face. Beth looked around the room and there was not a dry eye in the place, which explained all the silence. Everyone was bowled over by Daryl's speech. Maggie was crying openly and even Jenna couldn't preserve her characteristic scowl.

Rick spoke up then, "Let's hear it for Mr. and Mrs. Dixon" he came up to them and clapped Daryl on the back, engulfing him in that awkward half man hug that guys did. "Congratulations brother" he said close to Daryl's ear. Then he called out to no one in particular. "Now where's that whiskey, Glenn. We got some celebratin' to do". He announced.

"It's not even noon brother" said Daryl.

But Rick was having none of it, waving his hand as Glenn handed him the bottle. "Hey it's not often my brother gets married and announces he is gonna be a daddy all in one day".

"Thanks man. Can you believe we're gonna be parents?" Daryl suddenly went white at the thought. It was one thing talking about all this with Beth. But to talk about this with his comrade, friend and brother, Rick, it all felt too real. Rick could sense Daryl's trepidation. "It's gonna be fine man. When Lori was pregnant with Carl I was scared shitless. But you get used to it. Consider the first kid a trial run. It gets better with the next one."

Daryl looked at him, his eyes wide with fear. "Look we are just having one baby for now. Don't get ahead of yourself"

Maggie joined in the conversation then. "Ooooh, what if it's twins." She said with an evil glint in her eye.

Beth was laughing then. "Maggie, you're scaring poor Daryl to death." She moved closer to him and leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

"Is that possible?" he asked Beth. Oh he was being so cute about the whole thing, thought Beth and she shook her head indicating no at the same time that Maggie answered him. "Well sure, our momma's sister was a twin. It runs in the family."

Only Beth knew that Maggie was lying. She knew her momma had no sisters, only brothers. It was tempting to keep going with the ruse but she honestly loved this man too much to torture him. "Relax babe, it's not possible. Twins don't run in our family. Maggie is only teasing."

Daryl looked from Beth to Maggie, who was now laughing openly. "Sorry bro-in-law" said Maggie.  
"You should have seen your face" she said and hugged him.

Daryl returned her hug somewhat awkwardly and then pulled back to tell her "Well I see the minx gene runs deep in the Greene family" he said, tongue-in-cheek.

Beth laughed. He had called her that many times. And he was right to an extent. Beth and Maggie had gotten into endless trouble when they were younger.

Daryl looked around the room. Everyone was chatting happily and had gone back to eating their oatmeal. Carol was unusually quiet. He noticed that she kept stealing glances at him. He walked over to her, hoping to be able to talk to her. Carol smiled at him as he approached. "Congratulations Daddy" she said. "On both counts. You deserve to be happy. And it's clear that Beth makes you very happy." She said softly.

"Thanks." Daryl wasn't sure what else to say. He was dying to ask her why she had killed Karen and David but Tyreese was sitting right next to her and it didn't look like he knew. Daryl sure as hell wasn't about to open that can of worms. It would have to be a conversation for a different day. "Well, I'm gonna go make sure Beth eats" he said to Carol. "Talk to ya later".

She smiled as he walked away. He looked as if he was about to say something but it would keep for a while longer. She resolved to talk to him before the day was out. She kept a watchful eye on Lizzie. She kept having to make her come back inside. Carol knew what she was doing; she was trying to find walkers. She liked to play chase with them. It freaked Carol out and honestly it would scare everyone if they knew. She shivered a little remembering a couple of days ago when she had caught Lizzie cutting up a rabbit. As soon as Carol had seen what was going on, she scolded Lizzie and shooed her away from the rabbit. The whole thing was so very disturbing and she wished she could share it with someone. She needed to talk to Rick. She had to make him aware of the Lizzie situation before it got any more out of hand. Carol thought for a moment on Daryl and Beth. It wasn't that she wasn't happy for them. She really was. It was just that whole situation left her with a sense of melancholy she supposed because Carol knew that part of her life was over. She would never marry again. She would never have children again, not of her own. It was disconcerting to realize that it was all over for her. She didn't have the strength or energy for anything other than taking care of Lizzie and Mika now. Too much had happened to her to turn back now. Sometimes Carol wondered whether you could come back from some of the things they had to do just to survive. She just wasn't sure anymore.

Beth had been watching the exchange between Daryl and Carol. She knew that they had a special relationship and she was not jealous in the least. She knew it was not like that between them. But Carol had a sadness to her and although Beth could not put her finger on it, it seemed that Carol might be grieving the loss of her little girl all over again. Beth thought introspectively that she might feel the same way if anything happened to a child of hers. You couldn't really ever recover from that kind of trauma. It wasn't the natural way of things, or at least it hadn't been before all this had happened.

Beth placed a protective hand over her stomach, praying that she would be able to keep their baby safe. Hers and Daryl's. Sometimes it was surreal to her and other times it seemed as normal as apple pie and watermelon in July that she was carrying Daryl Dixon's baby. It was like she and Daryl had been meant for this. She just hoped that they could all survive.

**Hi everyone! I am so happy that I have all you readers out there! And I am noticing that I have a lot of new readers. So I know that I have you to thank for that because you must be spreading the word! Thanks for the reviews, keep em coming. As far as I can tell, everyone is happy with the story and I should keep going, right? Haha I hope you like the new chapter. And you know me guys, I have to warn you that it's getting ready to get pretty rough for a long while for the group. Well you had to know it couldn't be this fluffy forever right? Haha Okay, review review so I can keep on going. Please and thank you. Until next time. Xoxoxoxo **


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

The next couple of weeks everything settled into a pattern. The guys usually went hunting in the morning while the women stayed at the lodge and washed clothes and prepared food for lunch and then worked on what to have for supper. There were talks of making one last run before heading to SS. It had been decided that they would send a small scout group ahead of everyone else to make sure it was safe. You could never be too careful these days. The events of the past several months only served to further punctuate that belief. The run was going to be done the next day and it was already decided that Rick, Daryl, Michonne and Jenna would make the run. They had found a few maps in the lodge gift shop and mapped a route to the closest town. The run would take the better part of a day since they really didn't have a vehicle but they needed supplies and according to the map the town had a small health center where they could get some more medical supplies if they were lucky.

Beth couldn't help but be worried about the whole thing. It had been a long time since her and Daryl had been separated, since her kidnapping and that hadn't been for more than a few hours. Plus she felt like everyone had just found each other. But she also knew that they desperately needed supplies. It was starting to get colder and Judith was going to need more clothes soon. Not to mention the fact that Carl and Lily seemed to be having some kind of contest on who was having the longest growth spurt. Both teens were starting to look like they were expecting the rains to come any day now with the way their pants were getting shorter. The two were practically inseparable. If they weren't goofing off around the lodge, they were playing cards or they were keeping Judith entertained. Everyone had their jobs to do. Just thinking the phrase reminded her so much of her Daddy and she resisted the urge to cry and smiled instead. His words of wisdom seemed to run on a playback track in her mind. It was reassuring and familiar.

Beth was fixing a bottle for Judith and made a mental note to add powdered milk to the list of supplies. Hopefully they could find some. Judith was starting to get too big for the formula now and it would be nice to switch her over from a bottle to a cup soon. She was already taking to a lot of the table food they prepared.

Daryl came up behind Beth fixing Lil Ass Kicker's bottle and looped his arms around her waist. "Whatcha doin' Mrs. Dixon?" he whispered in her ear.

Beth turned her face to the side so he could kiss her cheek and smiled. She loved when he called her that. It just warmed her heart and sent a thrill tingling through her. "Just fixing a bottle for Judy, Mr. Dixon" she replied turning towards him once she replaced the lid on the bottle. She sat it on the counter and turned into Daryl's arms, laying her head on his chest and hugging him just a little tighter.

He placed his hand on her chin and tilted her face up to look at him. "What's wrong, Princess?" He frowned, sensing that she had something on her mind.

"It's nothin'. I'm just being stupid" she said. "I'm worried about the run tomorrow" she admitting, rolling her eyes at herself. She felt incredibly stupid just saying the words and honestly she hated that she was feeling as insecure as she was.

"It will be fine." Daryl pressed a small kiss to her forehead. He wasn't going to fill her head with empty platitudes and promise her that everything would be okay. Because they both knew that anything could happen. "I will be fine". Those were words that he could abide by. It wasn't a promise exactly but it was an oath, one he hoped he could keep.

"I know, it's just that no one has gone on a run since the prison. It makes me nervous. We've only just all found one another again."

"Yes I know but we really need the stuff we are going after. It's gotta be done. Besides that, you wanted me to try to find some stuff for Lil Ass Kicker right?" As if on cue, Judy started to whimper a bit in her pack and play set up in a corner of the expansive kitchen.

Beth stepped out of Daryl's arms and picked up the bottle, walking over where Judith was already reaching up with one chubby hand for her lunch. It was probably getting to be time for a nap, she thought, as she watched Judy rub her eyes with her tiny fist. Beth tried suppressing a yawn herself. She could use a nap herself.

"Somebody sleepy?" teased Daryl. "If you'd have gone to bed when I told ya to." He didn't finish his sentence knowing Beth would get his reference to their late night lovemaking session.

She gave him an impertinent grin. "Hmm, I don't remember you complainin' last night".

He laughed then. "Well at any rate, maybe you should take a nap with Lil Ass Kicker". He suggested.

"Nah, I don't want to waste the day sleeping" Beth argued and stifled another yawn and had to laugh. "On second thought, maybe I will. I've been so tired lately", she placed a hand over her belly, which was just starting to show signs of a small bump. She looked out the window watching Carol with Mika, Lizzie, Carl and Lily. She was trying to teach them a few simple kicks and knife thrust moves so they could defend themselves if necessary. They were moving their practice to the woods now. Beth thought it was sweet of Carol to teach the children survival techniques and at the same time it saddened her to realize that this was what things had come to. "I never thought I would be glad to see somebody teaching children how to use knives properly." Beth mused.

"Yeah me too but they have to know how to fight," Daryl said gruffly, his eyes following Beth's gaze to Carol and the kids at the edge of the woods. His eyes narrowed a little further catching some movement out of the corner of his eye about three clicks to the west of where Carol and the kids stood. It looked like a walker judging by its staggered gait. But right behind it there was another and another. Daryl swore loudly and yelled for back-up. He knew Glenn, Jenna and Rick were in the back tack room off the laundry, cleaning the fish that they had caught that morning. Even as he yelled for them, he warned Beth to stay inside with Judy and get someplace safe. He hefted his crossbow up and readied it for rapid fire.

He was outside in a matter of seconds but as he watched a walker sneak up behind Mika his blood ran cold and it seemed to take him hours to get there. Mika swung her knife ineffectively at the walker who was growling and snarling at her, its jaws opening and closing in anticipation and blind hunger that only walkers displayed.

Carol was showing Lizzie how to hold her knife in the best position and how to put her weight behind it when the walker came out of the woods. It was on Mika in an instant. She heard shouting. Carl was fighting off his own attacker, two walkers that had seemingly come out of nowhere. Lily had run to hide behind a tree, as Carl had instructed her.

Carol felt the cold bony grip of a walker's hands on her back, pulling her backwards and threatening to upset her balance. Carol fought for control of her senses and tried to figure out the best way to save herself and Lizzie and Mika at the same time. How the hell had she missed a herd in the woods behind them, she thought absently, all the thoughts and fears in her head, tumbling around and threatening her security and sanity all at the same time. She finally was able to thrust the walker off her and then descended upon it, delivering a quick thrust of her knife into its mushy skull, feeling the sickening metallic crunch of metal against bone and the spray of black blood that oozed from the opening she had just created. Mika was screaming at this point, which seemed to make the walker that was attacking her work itself into a frenzy. She wished she could tell her to be quieter but Carol knew if she was in the same position she might be desperate enough to cry.

What happened next would resonate with Carol for the rest of the day and into the next. She wouldn't be able to discern later if she had made the choice consciously or not. But in looking back and forth between Lizzie and Mika; they were both struggling to free themselves from a walker but where Mika was terrified, Lizzie had a look of mild amusement on her face. It was almost as if she was taunting the walker, tempting it to try to get her. It was that instant that decided the fate of everyone that day. She lunged forward and went after Mika, sparing no glance backward and trying not to think about what choice she had just made. She was upon the walker in an instant and picked it up away from Mika and threw it to the ground, following it quickly with all her body weight and throwing herself into the thrust of the knife into the walker's eye socket, feeling the blood run out in a gush, the gooey black liquid flowing revoltingly over her hand and the entire length of her knife. She pulled it out and wiped it on the back of her pants, looking to be certain that Mika was safe and told her to run for the house, seeing the path was clear for her to do so.

She turned to find that the walker that Lizzie had been teasing was upon her and had just taken a sizeable bite out of her shoulder. Carol was immediately reminded of Lizzie and Mika's father. When he had been attacked, Carol had thought at first that she could amputate his arm until she had found the other bite. It had been a really tough time for her and for the girls. But she had done what was necessary, just as she always did.

Carol flung the walker off of Lizzie, stabbing it in the head as she did so. She could tell by watching Daryl's and Glenn's slowed movements that the fight was almost over. A few more walkers and it was all over, just as quickly as it had all begun. She scooped Lizzie up in her arms and held her tight, blood oozing from Lizzie's shoulder. "It's okay Car….Momma" said Lizzie, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

Carol felt the tears coming and just let them fall. "It's okay baby. Momma's here." She smoothed the hair back from Lizzie's face, wishing for the eleventh time that day that she would let Carol take a brush to it. Lizzie had always preferred the messy look. And it fit her tomboy ways. Carol couldn't believe that Lizzie was going to die and all she was worried about was her hair. Stupid.

"Momma please don't kill me like the others. Let me be like them" Lizzie begged with her eyes.

Carol was confused. "What do you mean sweetheart?" she asked her, not even bothering to try to stop the bleeding. She had seen enough of these wounds to know the sooner you succumbed to them the sooner you would be out of pain and out of this horrible world.

"Don't hurt my brain, Momma. Let me be like them. I want to know what it feels like". Lizzie implored.

"Oh Lizzie, sweetheart, they are not people. Not anymore." Carol felt as if her heart was being shattered into a million pieces. Every word that came out of Lizzie's mouth etched fear into Carol's heart. She had known she was sick but it wasn't until this moment that Carol realized just how ill the little girl was.

"But they are Momma. They are still people. They just want to play. They want to be like us again." Lizzie was whispering now. She was losing a lot of blood.

Carol's breath hitched. It wouldn't be long now. "Shh, baby, try and be still."

"Promise me Momma" Lizzie was looking up at her, her eyes dark pools, the light slipping from them. "Promise you will let me be like them".

Carol whispered. "I promise sweetheart. Just close your eyes Lizzie. Try to picture a big field of wildflowers. It's summer time. Can you smell them Lizzie?" She choked on a sob. She tried to paint a picture for Lizzie with her words. She remembered that it was flowers that calmed Lizzie when she got into a state. And for all the things that the little girl might have been, she was still a little girl. She deserved pretty flowers and beautiful thoughts to carry her from this harsh world and into the next, whatever that might be.

Lizzie closed her eyes and took one last harsh breath and exhaled slowly. Carol could feel the moment her life slipped away. Her body went limp and her head lolled to the side, but she looked at peace. Gone was the Lizzie who had always had a look about her, like she had some big secret to hold, which in away Carol knew she had. Replaced with that Lizzie was now the little girl that Carol had only caught glimpses of when she was sleeping. "Rest now Lizzie. Be at peace little one". Carol's body was wracked with sobs, her shoulders violently shaking.

Rick and Daryl finished up killing the walkers to turn and find that the worst had happened. Another of their own had fallen to the walker herd. It was a stark reminder of how life could change in an instant. Daryl and Rick walked over to Carol. Daryl pulled her gently to her feet. Everyone was now on the porch looking at them. Mika was only being held back by Beth who was trying to comfort her.

"I need to be the one to do it", Carol said, trying to stop crying unsuccessfully. She knew that Lizzie would have to be taken care of, so she wouldn't turn. No matter what she had promised Lizzie, she couldn't let her turn into a walker. The image of Sophia coming out of the barn floated in her vision. No that was something that she knew she could not witness twice in a lifetime. It was hard enough losing Lizzie without having to see her turn into a snarling, biting monster.

"Nah, Carol you have to let us do it. You were that little girl's mother. It ain't right" Daryl said gruffly. He felt a little helpless in this situation. He tried to reframe in his mind that it was just what they did but this was different. It wasn't like every other time they'd had to put down one of their own. As creepy as Daryl had thought the little girl, she didn't deserve to die like this. He gestured to Rick to take Carol into the house.

Daryl reasoned that he hadn't been able to help with Sophia but he could sure spare Carol this added grief that she wanted to heap upon herself. She had done enough, seen enough. They all had, but Daryl didn't think Carol could survive another loss like Sophia, let alone put Lizzie down.

Rick led Carol wordlessly into the house and everyone filed after. Rick handed Carol off to Beth. Mika had already thrown herself into Carol's arms. Carol picked Mika up and carried her into the house.

Rick came back out with a shovel. He walked over to Daryl and they set off for the back of the property. Daryl bent down and hefted the little girl up into his arms, praying that she didn't turn while they were carrying her to her grave. Ever since the CDC, the turn time had varied just like Jenner had said. Sometimes it was minutes, others it was hours.

They arrived at the very edge of the property by the fence line and Daryl sat her down. He knew no one could see them from this angle and for that he was grateful. He bent down over the girl and asked God to forgive him for what he was about to do. There was something very unnatural about having to bury a child, and even more so in these circumstances.

Daryl set his jaw in a hard line, took a deep breath and did what needed to be done. Daryl picked up the shovel and dug silently alongside Rick. They worked in solitude, their digging punctuated by grunts of hard labor.

Rick finally broke the silence. "Carol didn't kill Karen and David." Rick said. Carol had told him the night before. "It was Lizzie." He looked up to check Daryl's reaction, but he wasn't giving anything away.

"I know" Daryl grunted continuing to dig. Then he paused and looked at Rick. "She mention why she took the blame?" he asked. He was curious now.

"Wait how did you know?" Rick asked him, puzzled, thinking that maybe Carol had told him.

"It wasn't that hard to figure out. Lizzie was." He paused. "Not right. It didn't take me long to figure out that Carol wasn't capable of doing something like that but Lizzie was." It seemed bad form to speak ill of the dead, especially since she wasn't even buried yet. But this conversation needed to happen. He was genuinely worried about Carol. She used to tell him things, but now it seemed that she kept everything inside. Lizzie killing two in their group, that was a pretty big secret to keep and especially for this long.

"Yeah Carol said she found Lizzie right after she did it. She just carried their bodies out and burned them to cover up the evidence" Rick explained, whispering. He didn't know why he was whispering but Daryl had started it and it seemed fitting he supposed, although no one could hear them out here so far away from the lodge.

They had dug a sizeable hole and Daryl picked Lizzie up and placed her gently in the grave. He and Rick then wordlessly shoveled the freshly dug dirt back over Lizzie's body. When they finally finished, they were both out of breath and sweating. Daryl pulled his bandana out of his back pocket and wiped his forehead.

Rick took a swig of water from his bottle of water and handed it to Daryl. "You know, you would think that after all this time, we'd get used to all this. Killing and people dying and burying our loved ones." Rick said thoughtfully and Daryl looked at him and nodded. "But you never do."

They started walking in silence back to the lodge. Daryl shifted his bow onto his back so he could carry the shovel. "I don't think we are supposed to get used to it, ya know". Daryl said thoughtfully, watching Rick's expression out of the corner of his eye.

Rick cleared his throat, "No, if we got used to it, I think we'd lose something of ourselves in it. Like we'd be just like them". Rick didn't need to explain that the "them" he was referring to was the walkers.

Daryl reflected on what Rick had just said. He was right. If they ever got used to killing and burying their dead, well they might as well throw in the towel. "Well I ain't gonna let it happen and neither is anybody else". Daryl vowed.

"Brother, me either. Guess that's our job. To make sure everybody stays who they are. That and keeping everyone alive. Well as much as we can anyway." Rick said as they walked up onto the porch.

Daryl nodded his agreement and they walked into the lodge together, ready to face their family. And try to put the pieces back together. Again.

**Okay, this was the absolute hardest chapter I have had to write in a while. I hope I was able to capture everyone's emotion. Especially Carol's. And there is not much for me to say. I am trying to stay in character with everyone but as the plot develops the natural occurrence is that the characters kind of develop too, almost morphing if you will. They kind of have to or it would be really boring fan fiction. Anyway, please review. Let me know your thoughts. Your reviews make me happy my lovelies. Until next time. Xoxoxoxo **


	36. Chapter 36

**AN: Sorry this update took so long. I was sick for most of the past three days and did not feel like getting out of bed let alone the computer. In addition, my cat (jerk that she is) knocked over a drink on my laptop and it fried. (rest in peace Toshiba Satellite). So I have had to resort to a very old and very slow desktop but it is better than nothing. So without further adieu: **

Chapter 36

Beth was running as fast as she could through the mossy swamp. It was dark and humid, the noon Georgia sun beating down onto the trees overhead and creating a thick blanket of fog over the swamp. She could hear splashing in the water and shuddered because she knew these waters were prone to gators. But instead of turning and finding dark yellow eyes peering at her from just above the water of the swamp, she came face to face with a walker. She stood there confused for a moment as her mind readjusted to the switch in predators. The walker began to tear at the flesh at her stomach and Beth's first thought was of the baby. The pain was excruciating. Then the walker pulled on her arm and was shaking it back and forth and saying her name. Which was weird, because she knew walkers couldn't talk. She opened her eyes to find Daryl hovering over her in their bed, his hair mussed from sleep. They had fallen asleep entwined in each others arms after the horrible day they had. Everything came rushing back at her and that's when she realized that her stomach was cramping something awful. She placed her hand over her belly with a feeling of dread spreading throughout her and the bitter acrid taste of fear rose up into the back of her throat. She felt a spreading wetness between her legs and prayed she was wrong about what she suspected, but when she pulled back her hand and peered at it in the moonlight it was difficult to mistake the bright red blood for anything other than what it was. "Go get Maggie" Beth looked at Daryl and tried very hard not to panic. He looked like he had seen a ghost, but got up and dressed quickly, heading down the hall being careful not to wake anyone that wasn't necessary.

As Beth watched Daryl walk away, she let her tears fall unbidden. The baby. She was losing their baby. Beth felt another stab of pain in her belly but it was nothing compared to the dagger of sadness that had just pierced her heart. Maggie came padding in, her eyes fully of worry and Glenn was right behind her.

Maggie took one look at Beth and the blood on her hand and knew instantly what was happening. Her father had been very thorough in telling Maggie all about a woman's body and pregnancy and childbirth and all the stages in between, even miscarriage. To be honest, Maggie already knew something about miscarriage. It happened once in a while on the farm growing up. She remembered one time one of the barn cats had a litter and the baby had come out not formed all the way. Daddy had said then that the mama cat had probably carried it with her the whole time and that was just the way nature was. Maggie wasn't so sure about nature and all that right now. She could see the heartbroken expression on Beth's face and that's when Maggie started crying too. It's a good thing she had decided not to be a nurse. She would be terrible at this, she thought.

Maggie gave curt directions to Glenn and Daryl about what items they needed and Maggie set about the task of cleaning Beth up and verifying that it was indeed what it appeared to be. It was just too much blood for it to be anything other than a miscarriage. Once Beth was settled in the bed in a new pair of sweats and one of Daryl's flannel shirts, Maggie had Glenn to fetch her bag. When they had last raided a house, Maggie had found a bottle of Vicodin. She shook one out in her hand and handed it to Beth. "Here take this Bethie. You'll sleep better and it will help with the cramping". Maggie reasoned.

But Beth just shook her head. "No, I don't want to sleep. It just-" But Beth's voice broke and she couldn't finish her sentence. She sobbed, her chest heaving up and down. She felt like she might suffocate on her grief.

Maggie bent down and kissed her sister on the head, handing Daryl the pill hoping he could coax it into Beth. She and Glenn took their leave and Daryl shut the door behind them. Fate seemed an awfully cruel force at this moment. Yesterday Lizzie and now tonight their baby, thought Daryl. He didn't know how to feel actually. He had just started to warm to the idea of a little Dixon running around and now that dream was gone. His chest hitched a bit at that and Daryl sat down on the bed beside Beth and handed her the pill. She took it wordlessly and swallowed it dry, then folded herself into Daryl's arms, her chin head pressing up against his chin, fitting in that perfect space made just for her. She cried then. She wept for everything that she had wanted for their child. She didn't know how to put everything she felt into words. She didn't know how to tell them that she wanted to take her child to the park when things got back to normal. She didn't know how to say that she already had seven different names picked out for a boy and a girl and none of them were quite right. She had no idea how to tell even Daryl that she hadn't wanted the pain medicine because she wanted to feel it; all of it. She wanted to feel the pain of the tiny little life that had not stayed in this world long enough.

Daryl cried with Beth, silently, just tears streaming down his face. He had never felt so helpless in his entire life. Beth had never been this sad before. Well maybe one time before; that time that no one ever spoke of anymore. It was a lifetime ago. After Sophia had come out of the barn and Beth's mother. Daryl shivered a little at the thought. That hadn't been a good day in anybody's book, he reckoned.

Beth's sobs were starting to become small hiccups every now and then. It broke Daryl's heart to see her this way. She was always such a ray of sunshine in the room, always the one to look on the bright side, always the one to see the good in people and in every situation. She amazed him, his Beth. But to see her like this; it was like Daryl had been kicked in the gut. And he couldn't do a damn thing about it, except this he guessed. He was holding her now and she had at least stopped crying. That was something and he would take it.

* * *

The next morning the sun was streaming through the window and Daryl could tell by the slant of the rays against the wall that it was going on noon. He groaned as he tried to shift. Beth was still asleep in his arms and stirred as he moved. He stilled for a moment as she stiffened and he could almost hear the minute she remembered about the baby. His own heart gave a pang and he shoved it down. He kissed Beth on the forehead. "Mornin' Princess". She smiled weakly at him and laid back down, curling into a ball.

"Want some breakfast?" he asked, hoping to draw her out.

Beth only shook her head and pulled the covers over her.

Daryl looked at her worriedly and dressed hastily. He didn't know what to do with this Beth. He didn't know sad Beth. He was used to vibrant Beth, happy Beth, _his _Beth.

He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I'll be back with breakfast in a second" he said before heading out the door.

Beth breathed out a sigh of relief when he left. She hadn't wanted to speak because she was afraid she would start crying again. Even as she had this thought, the tears welled up in her eyes, burning as they always did right before they spilled over her lids onto her cheeks. She just wanted to go back to sleep. She closed her eyes and let the drowsy feeling take her over again.

* * *

Daryl walked down the steps with dread. He didn't really want to face everyone. He didn't feel like answering everybody's questions and there were bound to be a lot. He just wanted for a moment, for everyone to disappear except for him and Beth and he instantly was sorry he wished for that because for a while all they had wished for was their prison family back. It was just that it was so hard to go through something this private on a public level. It was like he was on display and that was something that Daryl had never liked. He was a hang in the background kind of guy.

He took a deep breath and entered the kitchen area, where everyone was milling about going about their day. It was business as usual but it also appeared that everyone already knew what happened. Good, he thought, less for me to have to explain.

Maggie spoke first, "How is she?"

Daryl fixed a cup of coffee and stirred in some sugar absently. "Quiet. But she's not crying anymore".

Maggie only nodded. "Make sure you get something to drink in her today." She instructed.

"What about food?" Daryl was fixing some bread and peanut butter with jelly.

"Doubt she will want it. Main thing is to keep her hydrated." Maggie didn't elaborate further and Daryl wasn't sure he wanted to know. He was no prude but he was a man, dammit, and it was better if some things were left to mystery when it came to the workings of a woman, he thought. Maggie reached up and squeezed Daryl's shoulder in passing by.

Maggie was reminded of a time long ago when everyone had been discussing Beth in hushed tones. How things had changed and how some things stayed the same. But she knew her sister was stronger now. She would come out of this. She just needed time.

Daryl didn't know what to do except follow Maggie's advice. It meant a lot to him that Maggie trusted him to get Beth through this. Before everything had happened with the fall of the prison, Maggie might have stepped in and fixed everything and hovered over Beth, mothering her. By Maggie stepping aside and letting Daryl care for her now, emotionally and physically told Daryl that she really thought of him as family. He was proud and scared all at the same time. He hoped he could live up to their expectations. He wasn't entirely sure that he had what it took but he sure as hell was going to try.

He thought again of when Beth had tried to kill herself back on the farm. He had heard the story. No one thought that little Beth Greene was strong enough to overcome all that, but she had. And so much more. She had survived. She was so much stronger than she gave herself credit for. And he would be damned if he would let her think otherwise.

**Okay the long awaited chapter 36. So sorry it took so long, please leave a review when you go. It helps me figure stuff out and decide if I need to continue. I know it's been rough the past couple of chapters but it is just kind of the way I planned it. Not back to back tragedy mind you but it was the right time I suppose. Sometimes it plays out on paper different than it does in my pre-planning mind. Anyways, hang in there with me. There is more Bethyl goodness coming, I promise. I have been playing with a couple of other ideas. But I think I might have the rest of Accepting Love worked out in my head. The next one I write is going to be a Bethyl AU. But first things first, review this chapter. Pretty please? Until next time. Xoxoxoxo **


	37. Chapter 37

**AN: I hate that I made everyone cry on this last chapter. That was not my intention. I had this planned since before I decided to make her pregnant. It just makes sense. What I am trying to do is build more character and strengthen Beth and Daryl's relationship. This will test their relationship more than it has ever been tested. Also, about 15-25% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. I believe that in a ZA situation it would probably be much higher than that due to exposure to elements, malnourishment, and overall poor health in general. In a ZA, it is inevitable that the world will need to repopulate once again, but only the strong survive. That means pregnancies have to be top notch healthy as well. Plus I already established early on that Beth's periods were irregular so she probably had some kind of hormonal imbalance, which could also contribute to a miscarriage. I didn't mean to upset anyone, it was just a necessary plot point for this particular story. Plus lets face it this is the Walking Dead and it is nothing if not realistic about expectations of humanity. So of course we all want Bethyl babies (I mean who doesn't). I just wanted to show that the things that people sought after before the ZA is not going to be the same thing after a ZA. Marriage, career, house, kids. None of that matters as much as it used to. I feel that I need to be realistic as well in my story here. Hope this helps clear anything up. I really didn't mean to make everyone cry! I promise! :) And I didn't intend for this to be a book. Oops! Again, review review, it's the only way I know that I continue. I got mixed reviews on the last chapter but I feel like for the most part people want me to continue. What do you think? Xoxoxo **

**Chapter 37**

Beth had been this way for four days now. She refused to come out of her room, refused to even shower. Daryl was the only person she let even come in the room. But sometimes it even felt to Daryl that he was intruding on her. It was making him crazy, honestly. He wanted to tell her to snap out of it, but every time he tried to talk to her, she just cried and looked at him helplessly and he was lost again. He was starting to think that it was never going to get any better. He missed his Beth. The one that found the good in everything. The one who made him a better man. And he was still that man, it was just getting harder and harder to stay positive when the light had gone out in his girl's eyes. It was painful to witness.

Maggie had left them alone. He had asked Beth if she wanted to see her sister, but she had just shook her head. She didn't want to see anyone.

Daryl was in the kitchen and Jenna was sharpening her scythe. Again. He swore that woman liked her weapon about as good as he did his. You hardly ever saw her without it. He studied her from across the room from behind the hair that had gotten way too long. Beth had been pestering him to let her cut it. Maybe he would relent. He would do just about anything to get her to come out of their room. Daryl did not relish the thought of getting his hair cut, but if that's what it took to get her to rejoin the living then he was all for it.

Jenna had an intense expression on her face and Daryl didn't think she was paying any attention to her surroundings until she spoke. "Is she coming down today?" Jenna asked. He had to look around to make sure she was speaking to him.

"I don't know." And he didn't. "Why?" He didn't know what it was to her. And it wasn't that he didn't like Jenna. There was just something about her that rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe it was her attitude.

"Just wondering how long you're all gonna let her wallow in it." She remarked.

Daryl stood up, his hackles rising. "Now you wait just a damn minute. You don't know anything about Beth." He emphasized her name.

Rick walked in just then. "There a problem here?" Rick could sense the tension in the room before he even entered it. Daryl and Jenna looked like they were about to go head to head and that was the last thing that needed to happen right now.

"You've been walking around here like somebody kicked your puppy. I know it's a hard time and I'm sad for you both, but in case you hadn't noticed, we are trying to survive here." She almost spat out the word survive.

"You don't know what the hell you are talking about." Daryl was fuming. He had never hit a girl before and he wasn't going to start now, but this lady was pushing it.

Rick calmly pushed Daryl back into his chair. "We need to talk about this actually so I'm glad that Jenna brought it up." Rick reasoned with Daryl and looked straight at him.

Daryl met his eyes, his pupils like glints of steel behind their icy blue. "I'm listening." He couldn't see what they would have to say that would matter, but if someone had an idea on how to get Beth to snap out of things, he was all ears.

Rick didn't back down from Daryl's stern gaze. He began carefully. "I know that what you and Beth just went through is somethin' awful. And I'm sorry brother. I can't imagine what you are going through. We just don't have the luxury of anybody staying in a state for this long. Not anymore." He was trying to be delicate where Beth was concerned. He really didn't know what it was like to lose a child but he knew what it was like to lose a wife. And while he had taken some time to grieve for Lori after she died, it was a different time and a different situation. At the time, their group had been secure behind the walls of the prison. It seemed like a lifetime ago that Lori had died.

Jenna had talked to him last night after one of their late night trysts. And as much as Rick was loathe to admit it, she was right.

Rick continued, "So if anyone has any ideas to help Beth feel better then speak up." Everyone had gathered in the kitchen at this point.

"I might have an idea." Everyone turned to look at Lily. She was the last person Rick thought would come forward first so he tried not to look too surprised when he nodded at her to go ahead.

Lily hesitated at first. "A few years ago before the turn, my mom got pregnant. She was so happy. Me and Liam were happy. Even though I was older and so was Liam, we were both excited. But when my mom was about 3 months along, she lost the baby. My mom was really sad; we all were. But I think what helped my mom was we named the baby. We named it Taylor. We figured it would be a good name for a girl or a boy. Then we made a grave in our backyard and put stuff in it that we had thought of for the baby. I put in a poem, Liam put in one of his old guitar picks. Well, it might be a stupid idea." She trailed off.

Daryl looked at the girl like she had just handed him the moon. Why hadn't he thought of any of this? "It's a great idea." He nodded at her, not knowing what else to say.

"Give me until tonight. I will have her out of the room. If you guys can get everything else ready, I will make sure that Beth is there. Say sundown by the back fence line?" Daryl looked around at everyone nodding. He sure hoped this worked. It kind of felt like their last hope.

* * *

Beth was dreaming again. It was a beautiful spring day and she was back at the farm in the meadow behind the barn. There were millions of wildflowers blooming all over the property. Beth inhaled their heady scent and smiled having to resist the urge and pick every one of them and put them in a vase for supper that night. Coming across the meadow was her Daddy. He was holding the hand of a little girl and she didn't think she had ever seen her Daddy that happy. She was curious, as she got closer she thought she recognized her but she just couldn't place her. Maybe it was one of the neighbors nieces or nephews or perhaps somebody from church. "Hey Daddy, whose your little friend?" She couldn't help but stare at the little girl. She was just beautiful. She appeared to be about six or seven and she had a toothy grin and a head full of white blonde curls that wisped about her face. She moved to push a stray lock of her hair behind her ear with one finger. Beth thought the gesture looked so familiar.

"It's Katie, honey." Her Dad was waiting for her to do something. Say something. All the sudden Beth realized that this was her daughter holding her father's hand. She reached her hand out to the little girl. "Katie, it's very nice to meet you." She smiled at her, trying very hard not to cry, but a couple of tears escaped anyway. Katie took her hand and squeezed it.

"Don't cry mama. It's okay. I'm with Papa now." She looked lovingly up at Hershel, her grandfather. Beth suddenly realized that it didn't matter that her father was killed outside the gates of that prison. He was in a much better place now and so was her daughter. Their daughter. She wished Daryl could be here to see her. She was so beautiful. She had those blonde ringlets and when she looked up with the sun shining brightly on her face, she had her daddy's eyes. It was a strange sensation, seeing your child you have never met. It was heartbreaking and beautiful all at the same time.

"We have to go now Mama. Tell Daddy I love him. I love you Mama." Beth nearly choked on a sob. "I love you too. Love you Daddy." She understood that they had to go, but there was so much she had to say. So much she wanted to tell them both. So much she wanted to know.

The light faded and when she looked up, they were gone. But instead of feeling empty and sad, Beth felt full and light.

She opened her eyes and the sun was slanting across the room. It must be late afternoon. The door opened and she sat up, knowing it was probably Daryl coming to try to get her to eat. She thought of her dream and she smiled softly at Daryl as he came through the door.

Daryl opened the door and instead of being greeted by sleeping Beth, she was sitting up in the bed and actually smiling at him. It was almost as if the past four days had never happened. Then he saw the tears and he panicked, thinking that she was going to spiral down again. He walked over to the bed and she pulled him down with her. "Daryl I dreamed about her and my Daddy."

Daryl looked at her, clearly confused. "Who Princess?"

"Our daughter" she said breathlessly and her voice shook with emotion. She smiled at him. Daryl knew he was not imagining that light coming back to her eyes. She explained the dream to him, pausing every once in a while and just taking a deep breath.

"Wish I'd been there in your dream." He said gruffly. He didn't know how much he bought into the whole going to heaven thing, but he figured if anybody would make it there it would be Hershel and his child. He had never given much thought to what happened to an unborn child before it died. But seeing how excited Beth was about the dream she had, it wasn't hard at all for him to imagine it.

Beth seemed to remember something just then. "Oh I almost forgot. She said to tell you she loved you." Beth looked up at Daryl as he bowed his head, his shoulders shaking. He didn't think he had really let himself cry yet over the whole thing, but hearing Beth say those words, something broke inside him and he wept. Beth pulled his head into her lap and smoothed his hair back.

Beth felt oddly at peace. She felt like she had done the mourning she was supposed to do. She remembered something her father had told her at the prison. "That they all had jobs to do." And she finished the thought with "we don't get to be upset."

Daryl sat up and wiped the back of his hand across his eyes, suddenly embarrassed at the display of emotion. This was Beth but still; Dixons don't cry. Much, he amended. He thought he had probably cried more in the past couple years than he did in his entire life and much of it he owed to the incredible woman sitting beside him. She just brought it all out of him. He knew he was not the same person that drove up on her Daddy's farm that first time. And he was glad.

"The group had an idea Beth." He began telling her then about Lily's story. It had been a sweet thing the girl suggesting that. Taking a page of her past and lending it to them for their own story.

"I love it." Beth said. Beth looked down at herself for the first time in days and wrinkled her nose. "I need a shower." She laughed.

Daryl looked her up and down and though she was beautiful he wasn't going to lie to her.

"Yeah ya do." He laughed and she playfully smacked at his shoulder. "Come on, we'll get ya cleaned up."

**Hoping for some feedback and reviews on this chapter. Hope you liked it. I may update tonight again, hint hint. ;) **


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Beth loved this man, she thought, as she looked over at Daryl beside her after he finished his reading. They were at the memorial service for Katie. Beth smiled at the memory of her father holding her daughter's hand. No one would ever convince her that dream wasn't real. Sometimes Beth doubted if there was a God up there, but this event alone had made her want to believe again. Knowing her baby was in a better place and her father was there with her, that was all the peace that Beth needed.

Everyone had added something to the tiny grave site. Carol had placed a Cherokee rose down in the grave and Lily had put in one of her trading cards. Tyreese had taken a rabbit's foot out of his pocket and sheepishly placed it into the grave. "I don't know why I kept the thing for such a long time but it seems fitting."

Jenna had carved a tiny cross out of a branch she had found and placed that down in there. Beth had looked up in surprise as Carl had taken the hat that had graced his head since she met him and put it in the grave. "Carl." She protested. "You love that hat." But Carl just shook his head. "I don't need it anymore." He smiled at Beth. He didn't understand everything that was going on but he just wanted to make Beth smile again like he used to. She was still his friend.

Beth smiled at Carl and he beamed at her. Rick had taken his wedding band and placed it down in the grave. "You know, I bet Lori is watching out for her up there somewhere". It had been very touching. Daryl and Beth exchanged a glance. They had not told anyone else about her dream. It was a special moment for the two of them and it had meant so much. It felt like telling someone would spoil the miracle that it had been. Michonne had reached up with her kitana and sliced off one of her braids and put it in the grave. Mika stepped forward and put her shoulders back as she placed one of her barrettes into the grave. "I bet she has long pretty hair where she is. Maybe she can talk Lizzie into brushing her hair, huh Momma". She looked up at Carol then and Carol smiled down through her tears. "Yes baby, I hope she can."

Beth's heart skipped a beat when she saw how sweet Mika was to put her barrette into the grave. This group, their family, they meant everything to her. And to Daryl too, although he would never let on how much he loved everyone. Love his heart, he still had that bad boy image to uphold.

Maggie and Glenn stepped forward together and put their contribution in. It was one of Judith's old blankets but it was fuzzy and pink. "Something to keep her warm and remind her of home." Maggie smiled at her sister that she loved so much.

All too soon, it was hers and Daryl's turn to place their items in. Beth hadn't known at first what she would put in her daughter's grave until she remembered the old red bandana, the one she had won from him in that hand of poker they played ages ago. Daryl squeezed her free hand. He was remembering the moment it became hers. She had tried to give it back to him later but he had insisted she keep it, saying "You won it fair n' square".

That poker game seemed like ages ago on the one hand and on the other, it seemed it was only yesterday. She choked back tears. She had promised herself that she would not cry. She had promised her father too in a way. He had gone through all that trouble to show up in her dream. It was the least that she could do to keep the faith, just like he had always taught her.

Then it had been Daryl's turn. He had taken one of his arrows out of his quiver and sliced his hand open just enough to draw blood, smearing it on the tip of the arrow and placing the arrow down in the grave. He then stood back up and everyone had looked around to see what was next. Darylcleared his throat as he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. He smoothed his hand down over his pants as if to straighten out the wrinkles in the paper and to dry his palms simultaneously. He then cleared his throat and began gruffly,

Beth couldn't imagine when he had time to write anything and she wished she had thought of it.

"I didn't write this: This song was written by Eric Clapton, a great man of music back in the day. He wrote it about the son he lost. I hope he don't mind me usin' the words now, cause I think they're fittin'.

"Would you know my name, if I saw you in Heaven.

Would it be the same, if I saw you in Heaven.

I must be strong and carry on.

Cause I know I don't belong. Here in Heaven.

Would you hold my hand, if I saw you in Heaven.

Would you help me stand, if I saw you in Heaven.

I find my way through night and day.

Cause I know I just can't stay here in Heaven.

Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees.

Time can break your heart, have you beg and plead.

Beyond the door, there's peace I'm sure.

And I know there'll be no more, tears in Heaven. "

Daryl refolded the piece of paper and put it back in his pocket. Though it was hard to see through the happy tears that were blurring her vision, Beth thought the paper looked suspiciously like the paper from the notebook they still wrote in from time to time. She was so in love with this man, it scared her sometimes. For him to have thought of that beautiful classic song was just brilliant. She remembered her Daddy singing it to her while playing his guitar when she was just a little girl. She squeezed his hand and they walked away from the grave hand in hand. She knew their friends would cover the grave over and she didn't think she could watch that. She had said her goodbye. She would miss holding her daughter in her arms but she could take comfort in the fact that she was in good hands.

"Tears in Heaven", property of writer Eric Clapton, Universal Music Group 1990.

**I hope you all liked this chapter. I know it's short. I hope I did a good job of providing closure for everyone. Oh and try not to be too hard on Jenna for being the one to finally say something. They couldn't have let Beth continue to grieve like that. They really don't have the luxury anymore. Jenna is not a touchy feely kind of person. She has spent the past few years carefully building walls around herself so she doesn't have to express but the most base emotions. She was acting purely on survival instinct. She knew they needed to try to move on from the situation. She did something about it. That simple. I know how hard it is to like OC's though. But I truly love her. I might give her and Rick their own story sometime. lol Well let me know how you like this chapter in a review. Yes that is a shameless plea for reviews. They are like crack to me. Haha Until next time, xoxoxoxo **


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Beth was in the kitchen fixing breakfast for Judith. The run group had left earlier that morning, Rick, Daryl, Tyreese, Michonne and Jenna. They had went ahead on the run they had planned for two weeks ago but never made it. They had decided that once the run had been made they would strategize their plan for sending in a scout group to SS.

Beth couldn't help but worry. They desperately needed the supplies and they also could use some more weapons before anyone even thought about heading to SS. They needed to be prepared now better than ever. They still had others from their group that they had not found yet. Bob and Sasha for one. Tyreese had been saying for days that he thought Sasha would go to SS if she thought Tyreese would go there. They had no way of knowing if she even got out okay but he wouldn't stop looking for her until he had proof there was no need to continue.

It was hard to believe that so much time had passed since Lizzie had died and then the baby. But for all intents and purposes, things had returned to normal. Well as normal as things could be in their situation. They still hunted everyday or fished or both. They still had walkers to take out around the property on occasion. But for the most part, life just kept on going, whether anyone was ready for it or not. Beth just hoped that they were being careful out there.

* * *

Daryl motioned for Rick to follow in behind him while they were clearing out the Stop and Save they had broken into moments ago. They had heard some rustling in the back which most likely meant there were walkers trapped inside somewhere. They stayed in tight formation, the five of them, clearing the place an area at a time. By the time they had worked their way to the back of the store, it was apparent what had happened. Some of the walkers had gotten locked in the back freezer. It couldn't be opened from the inside and even if it could, the things were too damn stupid to figure it out. It was tempting to keep them locked in the freezer but if there was anything even remotely usable in that freezer they were going to have to take care of the walkers to find out.

Daryl nodded at Rick to open the door and a dozen walkers came pouring out, tripping over each other and pushing their way towards the fresh meat they had just caught scent of; them. They worked closely, only breaking formation when it called to put down a walker. In a matter of minutes there was a pile of walker bodies strewn about the back room around the freezer. They dragged them out of the way so they could get the freezer door open all the way.

When they had gone inside, they had possibly hoped to find something of use but everything smelled so bad they abandoned all hope. They went to the back storeroom after checking to make sure there were no walkers around. They quickly filled their packs with whatever they deemed to be useful. Someone had picked the store clean but left the back storage room untouched. It was a veritable jackpot. They found lots of clothes, canned goods. Daryl glanced at his list from Beth and enlisted Michonne's help with picking out items for Lil Ass Kicker. He felt like an idiot trying to pick out clothes for a baby. He had no idea what to get but Michonne seemed to be doing just fine. He grumbled something about it and Michonne spoke up. "I used to have a boy." She didn't meet his eyes when she said this. Daryl was honestly surprised she said anything. MIchonne was a woman of few words, which suited Daryl just fine, especially on a mission like this.

Daryl didn't know what to say to this so he didn't say anything. It seemed better to keep silent. She looked like she had more to say. "He went at the beginning. I miss him." And she continued picking out items for Lil Ass Kicker. If not for the expression on her face, Daryl might have thought he imagined the conversation. "'M sorry that happened." He said simply.

"We've all lost people, right?" said Michonne and Daryl shrugged.

"Yeah but losing a child. It's different." He said. She gazed at him pointedly and he nodded.

"Yeah it is different." Daryl knew that, in her own way, Michonne was expressing her sympathy to him. He was touched and he swallowed hard past the lump in the back of his throat. They both went back to loading up their packs.

They finished up at the Stop and Save and made their way to the medical center. Rick followed Jenna down the alleyway. He couldn't help but think of what they had shared the night before and he actually felt himself going hard at watching her backside as she walked in front of him. She took out a walker by the door to the medical center and Rick's mouth went dry as he watched her kill the walker. Watching her with her scythe and the natural way she wielded it and added a kick to the walker's chest at the last minute, well it was hot. He knew he was behaving like a school boy though and he tried to force the thoughts from his head before it distracted him into getting killed. Instead he filed the images in his head away for later, grinning to himself.

Once they got inside the health center, Daryl glanced again at the list that Carol had compiled of all the medical supplies they needed and they began loading up another pack with everything it could carry, including antibiotics and wound supplies. He grabbed a couple of suture kits. You definitely never knew when you would need those.

By the time they had finished casing various houses and buildings in the town, they pretty much had everything they could carry and they still had a few hours walk back to the lodge. With any luck they would be back before full dark. Daryl was tired just thinking about it. He was starting to worry. Winter was coming and they needed to find permanent shelter. The lodge was working out fine for now. He wished they didn't have to leave but it wasn't as secure as they needed. He figured they could probably search the whole state of Georgia and they might not find a location as secure as the prison had been and look how that all turned out. They had relied on those fences too much; it was a mistake they would not make again.

* * *

Beth was truly getting worried now. It was way past dark and Daryl had assured her that morning that they would be back by dark at the very latest. It was now at least three hours past dark and still no sign of them. Anything could have happened to them. She didn't think their group could take another loss right now. After what had happened with Lizzie and before that Liam, it just got harder and harder every time they lost someone. She supposed it shouldn't get easier, but it was still difficult.

She sat down on the sofa and played absently with the fray of the throw that she was wrapped up in. Glenn was taking first watch on the front porch. She heard him yelling all the sudden and she jumped up from the sofa, running to see what the commotion was about. It was so dark that all she could see were three forms coming closer and one appeared to be limping between the other two. Now that she could see a little better, Tyreese and Michonne were bringing up the rear and Rick and Jenna were on either side of Daryl and he was limping. She swore in that moment her heart actually plummeted to her feet.

"What happened?" she called out.

"We got ambushed by walkers on the way out of the clinic. He took a hard fall and gashed his leg open on a torn piece of metal from the door. " Beth was helping them into the house.

"Don't need ya'll fussin over me. M' fine." Daryl had his mouth set in a grim line and his eyes were squinted tight, trying to block out the pain. There was a spreading dark stain on the side of his left leg where the wound was.

Beth was no nonsense. "Bring him into the kitchen." She instructed and cleared off the table. She calmly gave instructions to everyone for what she needed.

Daryl looked up at Beth and the sudden take charge attitude she had and knew there was more of her father in her than she would ever care to admit.

"Daryl, you're _not _fine. You are bleeding a lot." She took her knife out of the sheath on her leg and began to slice away his pants.

"Dammit woman, those are a perfectly good pair of pants". Daryl protested, trying to sit up. Damn if he was going to let her cut his pants off while everyone was there watching.

"Relax. It's not like everybody hasn't seen a leg before. " She admonished him and he knew he was being ridiculous but he hated being the center of attention and that was exactly what he was. All eyes were on him.

"It's barely even a scratch, Beth." He was trying to get up. Beth motioned for Rick to come over and help her.

Beth got right in his face "You _are_ gonna let me look at this and clean it up. And we can do this the hard way or the easy way". At that Beth motioned to Rick.

Daryl laughed. "You think Rick can hold me down huh?" He knew he was being unreasonable but he couldn't seem to help himself. It was almost funny watching take-charge Beth. He looked to Rick like he would back him up.

Rick looked from Daryl to Beth and shrugged his shoulders. "Don't look at me brother. She's the boss. She says your leg needs tendin' to, you best be letting her do it."

Daryl looked at Rick incredulously and couldn't believe that his sweet southern belle had that much charm that his own brother was turning against him right now. He rolled his eyes at both of them and resigned himself to what fresh hell awaited him. "Fine, just be quick about it. I got stuff to do." Daryl couldn't keep the gruffness out of his voice. He hated feeling weak.

Beth peeled back the pants and took a clean rag and pressed it over it to stop the bleeding so she could get a good look at it. It was deep enough to require stitches and she thought she had seen a sewing kit somewhere. "It needs stitches. Otherwise it won't heal right and it'll get infected". She said matter of fact.

"Oh hell no." Daryl started to raise up off the table, but Rick pushed him back down shaking his head.

"She's right man. It's pretty deep. If you want the bleeding to stop, you're gonna have to let her stitch you up. Looks like we get to use those suture kits we found after all." Rick grinned at him. Bastard, thought Daryl. It wasn't _his_ skin that was fixin' to get sewn up.

Maggie was fishing around in Daryl's pack and got out one of the suture kits. Beth prepped her work area and had Maggie to assist her.

Beth instructed Carl to go out and find a big stick. Daryl just looked at her funny. "What are you gonna do, poke the wound with it?" he said grumpily. Beth smiled at him sweetly. "No darling, it's for you to bite. It'll probably hurt" She explained, wrinkling her nose at him.

"I don't need a stick to bite. I ain't no sissy," He protested.

My oh my, the wounded bear was sure a grumpy bear, thought Beth. "I know that." Just thought you might want something to focus on besides the pain, Beth said as she bit her lip.

Daryl looked at her biting her lip and he thought he would have to tell her later what that usually did to him.

Being fairly satisfied that she had a clean of an area to work with as possible, Beth started the tedious process of stitching up Daryl's leg. When she first pierced the needle in his skin, she could see the effort that it took for him to not cry out. His forehead had broken out in fine beaded sweat. Why must this man be so stubborn, she thought.

"Still think you don't need that stick?" she couldn't resist ribbing him. But he just shook his head, clenching his fists at his sides.

She made quick work of it and though the stitches were jagged and uneven they would do. She bandaged the wound and Daryl sat immediately up like he couldn't wait to get off the table. What he wasn't expecting was the dizzy sensation he got when he stood back up. He felt the edges of his vision grey out and threatened to black out completely. He reached out for the table for support and felt arms behind him. He could have cursed a blue streak at that moment. Dixons don't pass out from pain. Dixons _were _pain. He and Merle used to compare cuts and black eyes when they had gotten into a brawl somewhere. Daryl had never passed out in his life and he was not about to start now. "Easy there brother." It was Rick who had kept him from falling. He resisted the urge to brush him off but he figured he was not really in a position to refuse help at the moment. He eased himself into the chair.

"Oh I can see that you are not going to be a very good patient, are you?" admonished Beth. He just looked up at her with that half smirk and half smile.

"Oh I'm the worst. You can bet on it, sunshine." And Beth just chuckled. We would see about that, she thought.

"Okay, let's get you upstairs off that leg." Daryl grumbled but with the way his leg was feeling he went along with it. He didn't like how the tables had turned suddenly. He liked taking care of Beth, not the other way around. His leg better heal fast, cause there was no way he was going to stay down for long.

**Okay guys, not terribly exciting as far as chapters go and it's light compared to the ones we have had recently. They kind of needed that, I think. Let me know what you think. I am absolutely astounded at the huge response I have gotten to the last few chapters. You guys rock! It makes me so happy to know that I have reached as many people as I have. We Bethyler's are the best, huh? Okay, review review and I am hoping to have another update done later tonight. Hint, hint! Until next time, xoxoxoxoxo. **


	40. Chapter 40

**AN: SO many people have expressed that the last couple chapters touched them more than all the others. And as a writer I have to say that it's very gratifying and humbling to realize that my words would have meaning to another person on that level. So even though this is a hobby, it's also a passion writing this story. And I'm honored to have you all read it. So without further adieu, here is chapter 40. Can you believe that? I never intended it to be more than 10 or so chapters. **

**Chapter 40 **

It had already been several days since Daryl had injured himself and honestly Beth had just about had it with his surly attitude. He needed to stay off the leg to give the tissues a chance to heal properly and to keep it from opening back up, but a good patient he was not, Beth thought with a frown. She was busy redressing the wound at the moment and he was lying back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She had tried everything. They had played poker for the first day or two but then he got bored with that. The most obvious thing had been kind of out of the question up until now and Beth was playing with the idea of seducing him as a last resort. She felt a lot better and while they hadn't made love in a few weeks, she felt like she might be ready now. She was really missing her husband. He had been careful in touching her lately. She knew he was probably afraid that he would hurt her in some way but if she were going to be honest with herself, she had probably been ready at least a couple of days ago.

She had given Daryl a sponge bath the day before and as familiar as they had become with each other, there was something very intimate about bathing another person. She had watched his face several times during the encounter and he had kept his jaw in that same, mind-numbingly persistent hard line he always did when he was trying not to feel anything which made Beth want to scream because she knew it was bullshit. She had been tempted to throw the bath cloth aside and straddle him then and there, but he had been so grouchy lately that he was dang near unapproachable. Which was stupid. This was her husband for goodness' sake.

Daryl knew he was being an ass. The sorry thing about it was that the more he was an ass, the more he realized he was being an ass and it just pissed him off that he felt that way and made it harder to stop. It was a stupid vicious cycle. Being cooped up in this damn room wasn't helping him any either. Plus his gorgeous wife was prancing around him these days in little more than a pair of yoga pants and one of her tank tops. He tried not to notice. They hadn't broached the subject of sex lately. He wasn't sure what was good form in their case. It went without saying that he wanted to have his way with her. That was pretty much all the time. How could he not when she was so damned irresistible. And there she was again biting her lip while she concentrated on redressing his wound. He could feel himself going hard. Swearing under his breath, he grabbed her around the wrist with his hand, stilling her hand over his bandage. She looked up at him, her bright blue eyes glinting sharp surprise and mild alarm.

Beth almost shrieked when Daryl grabbed her wrist until she met his eyes and saw that familiar flash of desire, his pupils dark and dilated and almost consuming the diamond blue rings around them. Beth's lips parted in response and she quickly finished the bandage and moved everything to the side, kneeling beside him on the bed, hesitating just slightly. She wasn't sure how to do this. She didn't want to hurt his leg, but the air between them nearly sizzled with desire. He reached behind her head and lightly fisting his hands in her hair, he pulled her to him, his lips meeting hers in a rush, lips seeking, tongues mating, their breathing harsh and rushed. He nipped at her lower lip and forced her lips open further with his probing tongue. Her mouth responded and she sighed against his lips, her breath a hum against the soft tissue of his lips. He groaned in response. He needed her naked and beneath him right now. He went to move to make it happen faster and she put her hands on his wrists, stilling them.

"If we are gonna do this, we are doin' it my way." She said in that no nonsense tone of hers. She was the only one who dared to order him about in that way and live to tell the tale, he thought with a wry grin.

He nodded, "A'ight". He agreed because he really didn't have a choice where Beth was concerned. She had taken over his care the past couple days and what she said went, no questions asked. He could almost hear the rest of the guys snickering about it behind his back but he didn't care. They didn't have to live with her. And if Glenn, of all people, was going to be really honest with himself, he did the same thing with Maggie.

Since he was only in boxers and a t-shirt, it wasn't too hard to rid him of his clothes. He laid back while she stood back up, watching her undress. He loved watching her strip. She looked up at him, her eyes in that half closed smoky gaze. She started towards him as she let the final restricting garment fall to the floor, a pair of black thong panties. He didn't know where she had gotten those and was half tempted to have her leave them on, but once she was naked, he was happy to look upon her near perfect form.

His eyes traced a path from the way her soft golden hair fell over her shoulders and covered the top of her breasts, the way her rosy pink nipples stood at attention in the chilly room, and her smooth skin and that curve of her hip just before tapering off to her legs that seemed to travel down forever. He groaned thinking of how he wanted to kiss every inch of her and he couldn't. She laid down beside him and looked at him as he turned himself to face her and took her face in his palms and pulled her to him for another long and languid kiss. She tasted so sweet, like faintly of vanilla and peaches and he could kiss her all day and never get tired of it if it wasn't for the persistent throbbing between his legs. He reached down between them, sliding his fingers inside her slit, exploring, probing and pushed one finger tentatively inside her. "So wet, Princess" he whispered huskily.

She responded with a soft moan that was nearly his undoing. He moved his finger up over that hardened pearl that set her body on fire and began to massage in rapid tight circles until she felt her release coming, fast and hard like never before, a spiraling wave of blinding pleasure, washing over her, again and again and sending jolts down her spine and making every muscle quiver in her legs. When she was spent she wasted no time in taking him in her hand and pumping him up and down in the way she knew drove him wild. He moaned loudly, her name a whispered oath or a prayer, he wasn't sure which. "Can I ride you now?" she asked him sweetly, her voice husky like warm honey sliding over bare skin.

He used all his upper body strength and pulled her on top of him, feeling her hover over him and plunging herself down the length of him until he was seated deeply inside her and the feeling was so exquisite that Beth came again, her walls clenching around him over and over again.

She pumped herself up and down over him and he met her thrusts with an upward surge of his hips, both of them setting a punishing rhythm. The sight of her sitting astride him and her breasts bouncing just slightly, her hair hanging down and her head thrown back had him breathing even heavier. He pushed her back just slightly and at first she was confused by what he was trying to do until he reached down where they met and he rubbed his thumb over her clit. She was already wound so tight, it didn't take long for her orgasm to come again, coming in waves and he could feel her walls clenching around him, milking his orgasm from him. He cried out "Beth" as his release unwound around him, spasms wracking his body, the pleasure washing over him in waves.

She pulled herself off him at the last minute then collapsed on top of him and he kissed her forehead.

She rolled off and they were both panting hard. She looked over at him and grinned. "Bout time you got that scowl off your face" she couldn't help but tease him.

"Well woman if you'd done that yesterday, could have saved us both a lot of grief. I been wanting to do that to you for days." He admitted. "I was afraid I'd hurt ya. You're okay right?" He looked worried now and Beth had to laugh.

"I'm fine Daryl. Fine time to ask now though," Then seeing the look of horror on his face she quickly relented her teasing. "Seriously I am fine! I wouldn'ta done it if it wasn't, I promise". She assured him.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "I didn't know when it would be okay." Daryl hugged her tighter. They hadn't even so much as kissed in the past couple weeks, except for the occasional chaste kiss before bed or before he went out to hunt. "I missed you Princess" he breathed.

"I missed you too." Beth whispered back.

She pulled the covers over both of them and for the first time in a long time, they indulged themselves in a late afternoon nap, the sun waning as it set. Beth closed her eyes and really slept for the first time in weeks. The last thing she thought as she drifted off was how much she loved her husband.

**Okay guys, here is the next chapter. A chapter full of Bethyl loving I might add. Hope it was okay and tastefully done. ;) I wanted to convey how much they really love each other and getting caught up in the moment and all that. So hope you liked it. Guys, I am amazed at you all by the way. I ask for reviews and you sure did come through. Almost 50 reviews in the past day or so. So exciting! So let me know how you liked this chapter. What you'd like to see more of, less of? I eagerly await your responses. Until next time. Xoxoxoxoxo **


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Daryl, Rick, Jenna and Glenn had been gone for two days already. If they weren't back by daybreak the next morning the second team was going in, which was essentially all of the rest of them, with guns blazing. Of course, someone would have to stay behind with Judith and Mika. But that was worst case scenario, Beth told herself for at least the 20th time that day. She kept glancing out the window hoping to see them coming any minute now. They really had no way of knowing how far it was still to SS and it wasn't like they could even send smoke signals at this point. Beth sighed. It was times like this when Beth really missed the technology of their old world. What she would not give for a cell phone at the moment.

The cabin was particularly quiet. Everyone was on edge worrying about when the group would make it back. Even Judith was a little fussy, thought Beth as she absently bounced the little girl on her hip while simultaneously folding clothes the best she could with her free hand. Judy had been clingy all day and nothing had really made her happy. Beth wondered if maybe she was cutting another tooth or if she was just sensing everyone else's stress, which would be weird. The little girl was usually impervious to the moods of the group. She guessed a baby born in a post apocalyptic would have to adapt somehow. She thought then of her own daughter, Katie and just for an instant was thankful that she didn't have to live in this world. As soon as the thought came unbidden, she forced it from her mind, feeling terrible to think such a thing. But if anyone was going to be really honest with themselves, their new world was no place for children. All their innocence that they were supposed to have was tainted with blood and gore, war and worst of all, actual monsters that really did come out of your closet and hide under your bed. It was the worst kind of childhood imaginable when you really thought about, mused Beth.

It was going to start getting dark soon. Beth walked Judith over to her pack and play hoping the little girl would play for a little while. She fussed initially but then grabbed her favorite blanket out of the corner and started playing peek-a-boo with it. Beth smiled and laughed at her. She was really so adorable she could hardly stand it.

Beth walked over to finish folding the laundry and heard a commotion from outside. She glanced out the window and nearly leaped for joy. They were back! She took off running, reaching the door in record time. She and Maggie reached the threshold of the front door at the same time, causing a bottleneck of traffic out to the porch. They both laughed giddily at their exuberance and then both stepped back to let the other one go. Carl, clearly getting impatient and still ticked off that they hadn't let him go with them, barged between both of them, going onto the porch. They both made faces at his back as they both took off out the door after the other racing to the guys.

They looked a little worse for wear. They were all covered in the remnants of walkers and as Beth got closer to Daryl right before she launched herself in his arms, she caught a whiff of them all and wrinkled her nose. But she didn't care. They could just take a shower together, she thought wickedly.

Daryl grabbed her up off the ground and crushed her to him. He had never seen a more welcome sight than that of his girl running to meet him after a two day separation. It was the longest they had been apart, well, ever. Since they had gotten together anyway. It had been a hell of a two day period of time too. He still shuddered at some of the things that they had seen at the so-called Sanctuary Station. He, Glenn, Rick and Jenna had agreed to the story they would tell everyone else. The truth was just too brutal to fathom and Daryl was still having a hard time wrapping his mind around the sheer savagery he had witnessed. It had made killing walkers look like child's play. He pressed a hard kiss to Beth's forehead and then urgently kissed her on the lips, not giving a damn about who saw and who didn't. Beth was back in his arms, the one good thing in his life and if there was anything that Daryl needed after the sheer hell they had been through the past couple of days, it was the goodness of his Beth.

"I missed you" she breathed against his neck.

"I missed you too, Beth. I love you." He said huskily and she pulled back in surprise to take a good look at his face. It wasn't that he never said the words, he just didn't say them _first_ very often.

"You okay?" she asked him seeing the weariness and worry etched into his features.

"Yeah, just tired", he said as he put her down and they walked back towards the house.

"Let's get some food in you and get you cleaned up." She said entwining her small fingers with his larger ones.

Daryl let himself be pulled along following after Beth and the others. All he really wanted to do right now was sleep, preferably with Beth curled up beside him. He hadn't slept in two days, not since they had left actually and it was starting to wear him down especially now that he was home and his bed was so close. Home, he thought. The word had come to mind so easily but he supposed that's what the lodge had become; home.

All through dinner, Beth kept glancing over at Daryl trying to figure out what was really going on. She figured he would tell her when he was good and ready. After the scout party had gotten fed and showered, they had promised to fill them in on the gist of what had happened at Sanctuary Station and give them a head's up on their next move.

Rick cleared his throat to begin. You could have heard the grass grow, it was so silent, thought Daryl. He was letting Rick do the talking. He thought he could probably put into words the story they had agreed upon better than he could. Daryl was afraid he would screw it up and say the wrong thing.

"For starters, Sanctuary Station is not what we thought it was." Rick paused to let those words sink in to the group that had entrusted him with their lives. He thanked God again silently that they had the foresight to send in a scout group ahead. Who knew what would have happened had they gone in on blind faith.

There was an audible sigh from everyone in the room. Rick held up a hand to keep everyone silent until he was done. "Hear me out," he said. "Thing is, it was a trap. The people there. They weren't good people."

Beth did not miss the fact that he was using the past tense when talking about who was at SS.

"They were murderers, some kind of cult. Now we ain't gonna go into all of it. All you need to know is they were bad and we ain't going there now."

Everyone was talking at once. It was understandable. Ever since the prison, SS was something that they had to grasp onto. A destination in mind. Because they couldn't keep wandering as they were. "Everybody there is dead" Rick explained. Tyreese looked pained for a moment. Rick, as if sensing his grief, looked at him and said "We didn't find any proof of our people there". Tyreese simply nodded and went back to whittling the stick he had been working on the past couple days.

Rick wasn't going to go into details on how he knew everyone at SS was dead. "We about got overrun by a herd on the way back but out of nowhere we ran into another group. Small, like us. But their leader Abraham Ford has agreed to let us go with them to Washington D.C. Supposed to be some kind of refugee camp. There's a rendevouz point about 10 clicks northwest of here. It's an old abandoned military base. It fell early in the turn. Abraham says his folks are gonna hole up there for the winter and first sign of spring, they are heading to the Safe Zone in D.C. I think it's our best shot, but we gotta put it to a vote. " Rick finished and sat back waiting for everyone to contemplate the hand he had just dealt them.

Surprising everyone, Lily spoke first. "Is it really a Safe Zone? I mean what if we get there and it's just some whack jobs like you found at S.S.?"

Daryl stared at the girl in surprise and was impressed. It was exactly what he had said. He didn't trust the Ford guy but then Daryl didn't really trust anyone so it wasn't saying much.

"Nobody really knows for sure but Abraham did show me a flier that appears to be from the United States government. He showed it to me. I saw it with my own eyes or I wouldn't believe it. It had the seal of the President at the bottom. Now if they had fliers then it got me to thinking that they must have power to be able to put out advertisement of that magnitude. "

Everyone seemed to think about what Rick was saying. In the end, it was decided that they would leave the day after tomorrow. It would give them all of the next day to pack up what they needed for their journey and it would give the scout group a much needed rest.

* * *

It was Beth's turn that night to keep Judy. Maggie had kept her the night before and Beth had taken an extra long shift of watch. She sure hoped Judy would go to sleep easily that night. She was about to fall over and unless she missed her guess her husband was about to fall asleep where he stood. She got up and went to pick Judith up to carry her upstairs.

Carol put her hand on Beth's arm. "Let me take her tonight." She offered generously smiling at Beth.

Beth looked up at her in surprise. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. I haven't been sleeping well. It will give me something to do besides hear myself breathe" joked Carol.

Beth looked at her gratefully and hugged her quickly. "Thank you, Carol. I'll make it up to you".

Carol just dismissed her with a wave and reached for Judith's outstretched arms.

Beth followed Daryl up the stairs. When they got to their room, they undressed wordlessly and fell into the bed, facing each other. Daryl traced lazy circles on the skin of her shoulder. "God, you're beautiful." And Beth beamed at him.

"You're not so bad yourself." Beth said sweetly.

Daryl groaned. "You must be blind, woman. I know for a fact that I look like horse shit."

Beth giggled at that and then had to stifle a yawn. "At least you don't smell like it anymore", she teased and Daryl chuckled. She had thought maybe they could make love but she didn't think she was going to last another second.

Daryl kissed her softly. "Goodnight Princess" he whispered as her eyes fluttered closed. The last conscious thought Daryl had before he drifted off to sleep was that he was home and it had nothing to do with the lodge and everything to do with the angel in his arms.

Sleep overtook them both, but Daryl slept fitfully, the stench of rotting bodies and the sickly sweet smell of way too much blood making him toss and turn restlessly.

**I know, what a way to end it huh? Daryl's dream will be in the next chapter. We are going to get a glimpse of what really happened at Sanctuary Station. And no it's not cannibals. I couldn't stomach that. What I have planned is bad enough. But seriously you guys are SO freaking awesome. The reviews have been steadily pouring in and I couldn't be more pleased. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reviewing and for spreading the word. You cannot know how much it means. SO please, review, review on your way out. Please and thank you. Until next time, xoxoxoxo. **


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Daryl could smell the blood as soon as they opened the double doors after the eerie courtyard they had just passed through. Sanctuary Station was an old abandoned railway station where evidently several tracks converged. Must have been some sort of railway hub, thought Daryl, pulling his bandana up over his nose in an attempt to squelch the nauseating sickly sweet smell of fresh blood mixed with the smell of rotting flesh. He was trying to breathe through his mouth as much as he could but that was almost worse and he gagged a couple of times. Everywhere he looked there were bodies in various decomposing states, their sightless eyes staring up at him, black pools that reflected eerily in the yellow glow of the candlelight. There were candles everywhere and it struck him odd that they all burned evenly. With so many candles, it didn't really make sense that every wick would burn at the same rate. But it also didn't make sense that written all over the walls were terrifying messages, fragmented sentences all appearing to have been written in blood. "Never Trust. You Know That. We First. Always." Then there were the names scrawled all over the floor. It was some kind of shrine or memorial, Daryl wasn't sure which it was. Either way, it wasn't good. Whatever had gone done here and was obviously still going down was some of the evilest shit he'd ever seen.

He could hear the echo of his footfalls as his boots hit the pavement in the center of the terminal. He looked around the room and there was blood dripping everywhere, pooling in thick puddles on the floor around his feet and threatening to pull him under. He felt as he were moving in quicksand. He had his bow ready, waiting for a sign of walkers but there were no death growls here, only strangled whispers of human cries. And then over along one wall was the worst sight he had ever seen, a dozen examination tables with bodies laid out on them and various gashes at pulse points, oozing blood out of each opening, the blood collecting in the corners of the tables and draining into large buckets. Daryl had never seen so much blood. The bodies moaned his name over and over again. Merle came out, blood dripping from his mouth, his eyes glazed over. He wasn't quite human but he wasn't a walker either. He held up a silver challis overflowing with blood and tipped his head back and poured the blood down his throat. Then it wasn't Merle at all but some weird guy that called himself Gareth. It gave Daryl chills. He aimed his bow at the guy's head and then his head exploded on the wall behind him, his body falling in the pools of blood. And Rick was yelling for him to get out of there, his voice urgent. All those people laid out on the tables, who was gonna put them down. They were near death as they could get, it wouldn't take long for them to turn. Some of the bodies, he could tell, were barely older than Carl and Lily. He couldn't bring himself to call them anything other than bodies because what remained of them was anything but something resembling human form. Emaciated, broken, bruised, almost skeletal remains. What sheer hell they had endured to be in that condition and still draw breath, Daryl could not imagine.

The bodies were calling Daryl's name again. "Daryl" Only it didn't make sense to him. The bodies voices should be barely a whisper and shouldn't sound like an angel.

He opened his eyes to find Beth sitting up beside him and shaking him. He sat up suddenly and took in a big gulp of air. It had been a dream. Except that it had all really happened. "It's okay," Beth murmured. "You were dreaming." She whispered.

He pulled her down on top of him, crushing him to her, needing warmth to absorb the chill that seemed to go bone deep after the dream he had just had. He needed her closeness and all the sudden he could not get close enough to Beth. He flipped them over so she was pinned lightly underneath him. She looked up at him in mild surprise and he just looked at her darkly his eyes half lidded with passion.

Beth thrilled at the look in Daryl's eyes. She loved when he was like this. It was like in that moment he possessed her and she knew there was no feeling better in the world than being completely consumed by Daryl Dixon. She was glad that they had gone to bed completely naked; it made it easier now with no constricting garments between them. He pushed her hair away from her neck and spread rapid kisses over her skin and at the hollow at the base of her throat before dipping his head down to claim one nipple and then the other, feeling both peaks harden beneath the laving of his tongue and the cool air as his mouth left them to graze down over her belly button, his tongue dipping in at the delicate flesh and feeling her sharp intake of breath.

Beth threaded her fingers through his long hair, grasping it as gently as she could, his mouth and his tongue eliciting soft moans from her and making her breath come in shallow gasps as he dipped his head even lower and she willingly parted her legs for him.

Daryl positioned himself between Beth's legs and buried his face into her velvety folds, his tongue delving inside of her. He moaned at the taste of her. "God you taste good Princess." He murmured. He pulled his tongue back out and thrust it back in several times, feeling her thigh muscles clenching under his grip. He positioned his hands under her ass, grasping her and pulling her more flush with his mouth as his tongue unleashed a furious rhythm against her clit. He could feel her getting ready to come against his mouth and his cock went even harder and twitched against the mattress. He pushed a finger inside her and that was her undoing. She came around his finger, her muscles clenching and quivering. He pulled his mouth away from her and kissed his way back up her body until he reached her mouth.

She could taste herself on him and found it extremely erotic. She moaned against his mouth and reached between them to take him in her hand. She so wanted to reciprocate what he had just given her. She kissed his chest as she pumped him up and down, giving his cock just the right amount of pressure. He stopped her hand and she pouted up at him prettily.

"Later Princess. Right now I just need to be inside you." He explained. He rolled her over gently and positioned himself over her.

Beth nodded at him, not being able to deny anything he requested at this point. "I want you inside me Daryl." Beth looked up him, loving the feeling of him being over her. She had never felt safer. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he positioned himself over her and entered her in one swift movement.

The friction created by her warm wet folds and his throbbing hard cock made both of them moan. Daryl at first wanted to just set an insanely fast rhythm and fuck the hell out of her but when he looked down on her, she looked so exquisite that he was overtaken instantly by tenderness. Sometimes he loved her so much that he felt like he couldn't breathe. Merle's voice came into his thoughts. "Yeah you got it bad, baby brother". Damn Merle anyway. Must have been the damn dream he thought. Sometimes it was hard to tell where Merle's mouth ended and Daryl's brain began. He shook his head and concentrated on the task at hand, which was making his wife come as many times as he could and losing himself in her arms.

Beth met Daryl's movements, thrust for thrust, arching her hips up with each movement until he slowed the pace down and began grinding into her slowly, his movements leisurely. She wiggled her hips impatiently and he grinned wickedly at her before dipping his head down to kiss her. She smiled against his lips. She loved this side of Daryl almost as much as she loved the fact that only she got to see it.

She wiggled her hips again, impatient for him to move faster. She was almost there, dammit. Daryl growled against her and as if he couldn't hold back another minute, set the pace at a punishing rhythm, pounding into her and Beth fractured around him, feeling her orgasm spiraling down and he breathed against her. "Fuck Beth" and he ground into her, feeling her coming and her orgasm pulled his release out of him, the pleasuring waves coming in a swell and then ebbing off until he finally collapsed on top of her.

They were both breathless. "Well I don't know what brought that on, but your dreams should come with a warning." She giggled.

Daryl couldn't help but chuckle at her as she traced lazy circles on his chest, her hair fanned out over his arm he had draped around her shoulders.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Beth whispered seriously. "Sometimes it helps ."

He kissed her forehead. "Nah, Beth. I'll be okay. It's best if I just try to forget it."

She sighed against his chest. "Well you know if ya change your mind, I'm here".

"I know, darlin'." He smiled softly at her in the dark. It was still the middle of the night if he was judging by the lack of light outside the window.

He reached down and pulled the covers back up over them. "Daryl?" Beth asked.

"What?" he murmured against the top of her head.

"Do you think things will ever be normal again?" Beth mused.

"I dunno. Sometimes I like to think it will. But others." He didn't have to finish his sentence. She knew what he was saying.

"Do you think the people we are meeting are good people?" Beth asked him, her voice wearing down as sleep was starting to take over.

"I hope they are, Princess" Daryl pulled her closer as sleep played with the corners of his mind.

"I think there's still good people Daryl." Beth said. That was the last thing Daryl heard before sleep overtook him once more. He liked that she thought there was still good in the world. At least one of them needed to half believe it. But the fact that she had hope sparked a hope in him. Made him think that maybe this world wasn't a lost cause after all.

**I know, I know, I am shameless with doling out the Bethyl feels, but hopefully the miniature smut moment we got here makes up for it. Haha You guys are so freakin' awesome. I am gaining readers daily. It absolutely amazes me to open my mailbox each day and see all the love from you guys, plus many of you PM me which I love! Thanks for reading and please leave a review on your way out. Until next time, xoxoxoxoxo. **


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Beth and Daryl had just readjusted the makeshift sling for Lil Ass Kicker. Beth couldn't believe how much she had grown in the short time they had been at the lodge. Beth had mixed feelings about leaving the lodge and meeting up with Sargeant Ford's group as they had come to call them. She was ready to move on and get to a possible safe place for the winter, but she dreaded the thought of leaving behind the link to her unborn child. She and Daryl had decided to go out to visit Katie's grave before they left. They were trying to give Carol and Mika enough time out at Lizzie's grave before they went out there. Finally when they saw Mika and Carol coming back across the lawn, they set out from the house, giving everything one last glance. Beth had already set herself on carrying Judith to the base. They walked out to the fence line at a leisurely pace, their fingers entwined like they loved but so very seldom got to do. They finally reached the place where Katie's memoriam lay. Beth realized that she was no longer really sad about Katie. It was as if her Dad had been sent to her dream to tell her everything was okay. She was strangely at peace about the whole situation. Judith was making sweet cooing noises. "You would have been a great cousin to Katie, Judy" she murmured in the little girl's ear.

Daryl placed his hand on the back of Beth's neck and squeezed lightly. "Maybe someday." He didn't finish the thought. He didn't know if they would ever have children but he wanted it for them, if the situation was right.

"I don't know Daryl. I keep thinking about it. As much as I want to,…" Daryl placed one finger over Beth's lips.

"Shh, don't worry about it. How's about we just let fate decide." He moved his finger and placed a soft kiss on her lips. She sighed her response.

"Yes, that sounds like a plan" she smiled up at him. Judith grabbed Daryl's hair in her tiny little fist and squealed as she pulled.

Daryl chuckled at her while Beth carefully pried the hair out of the little girls's fingers. "Looks like somebody else thinks it's a good plan right Lil Ass Kicker". He tickled the bottom of her foot eliciting a delighted laugh out of her. He knew people thought it was weird seeing him with the little girl but he guessed she would always have a special place in his heart.

Beth loved watching Daryl with Judy. She just knew if they ever got out of this mess and lived to tell the tale, Daryl would make the best daddy in the world. Besides for whatever reason, kids just seemed to like him. She supposed it was because even though he looked mean, once you got to talking to him, they were drawn to him. Like even they could see through his harsh exterior to the gentle soul within. If Daryl knew she was referring to him as a gentle soul, he would turn her over his knee. On second thought, maybe she should tell him. She smiled to herself.

She looked down at the place where she had decided to lay her daughter's memory to rest and whispered , "See ya later my angel". Because that's better than goodbye, thought Beth. She knew she would see her daughter someday. Her dream of her father in the meadow had proved that to her. It was a calming thought.

Daryl crossed himself like the good Catholic boy he had been for a whole summer. The same summer he had spent camping with his foster parents. By tacit agreement, Beth and Daryl headed back to the lodge. They had done what they had come to do.

Beth looked at Daryl curiously. She had not known he was Catholic. He glanced at her sideways. "What?" he asked her self-consciously.

"Nothing, just didn't know you were religious is all". Beth arched her back a bit as they reached the porch around the front of the lodge. She probably wouldn't be able to walk tomorrow after carrying Judy for two hours.

"'M not. " He shrugged. He told her then about the foster family taking him to church with them and getting him involved in the church's baseball team. Something about the religion stuck with him he guessed. It was funny to think that he had been a choir boy back then. "The sisters that coached the team would be cluckin' their tongues and wielding their rulers if they heard half the shit that came out of my mouth now." He realized too late that he had just sworn again.

Beth laughed and he smiled in amusement. "Yeah I could probably work on cleaning up my cursin'" he admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Ya think?" Beth said. "You do have a potty mouth sometimes. But, I still love ya".

"Yeah, yeah, love you too" Daryl said as he swatted her behind playfully as they walked back in the lodge. Everyone was now waiting inside the living room, all packed up and ready to go. They were taking what they could carry. It was a two hour walk and hopefully they wouldn't run into too much trouble along the way. The biggest item that they ended up carrying was the pack and play. It was practically a luxury item these days. They knew it was their only hope of keeping Judith out of trouble once they got to the military base plus it was a safe place for her to sleep as well. She had come a long way from sleeping in her mail carrier bed she used to have, Daryl remembered smiling.

They all walked out of the lodge and set out on the path that would take them in the direction they needed to go, each of them hoping they all made it in one piece.

* * *

They had been on the road for about an hour. Judging by the rough map they were following, Daryl figured they were a little more than half way there. Everyone was trudging along slowly. If Daryl had his way, they would be walking at a much faster pace but he was trying to remember they were travelling with children too. Not that he would every admit it, but his leg was still hurting some and could probably do with the slower pace anyway.

Lily, Carl and Mika were playing a game of eye spy as everyone else groaned listening to it. The only clues they had used were "tall", "green", and "leafy" to describe the only thing they had passed in the last hour; trees and more trees. The more they played though, the harder Mika laughed and it was so good to hear her laughter, the innocence of a child's giggle, that they just kept playing.

From what Beth could tell, Judy was asleep. She could swear she felt a big wet spot on her back where Judith's cheek lay which meant the little girl was probably drooling and Beth smiled at the thought. She knew it might gross some people out but call her crazy she found everything Judith did endearing. She guessed to any stranger looking in on their group, she was the closest thing to a mother Judith had. Not that she could replace Lori; that would never happen. But Rick was definitely her daddy, there was no doubt about that. She just loved her daddy to pieces. Beth guessed the old saying about it taking a village was really true in their case. Everybody did their part and not just with Judy; with everything. They all did their jobs and they worked hard together; it's what families did, she thought.

Daryl and Rick were deep in conversation about goodness only knew what, Beth thought. Those two could get into the most serious discussions at times and then other times you would think they were serious and when you walked up all they were talkin' about was who was better lookin than who. They were probably talking about it even now. Beth rolled her eyes at them.

Daryl was laughing. "So you think you've got it figured out huh?"

Rick nodded his head. "Yeah I do. "

Daryl just shook his head. Rick had just bet him money that there was no way Carl had a crush on Lily. "Hate to break it to ya, brother, but that boy's got it bad. He's grown up now" He was talking low so the kids couldn't hear him but he didn't think they would since they were so into their game. He had already had to call them down a couple of times. Couldn't have their loudness attracting a whole band of walkers. It was the last thing they needed. They had had to take down a few stray ones here and there but for the most part, they were too far away and too slow to be a major threat.

Rick looked at Daryl in surprise. He was trying to remember how old he had been when he had his first crush and he realized in horror that it was way younger than Carl was now.

Daryl chuckled and shook his head. It was almost like a light bulb went on over Rick's head. Rick looked at his son, who had grown up before his eyes in no time. Carl was kicking a rock back and forth with his foot as they walked but he kept glancing at Lily to see if she was watching him. He watched in amazement as Lily glanced over at Carl and smiled sweetly at him and then shyly looked away.

"Well I'll be damned." Rick murmured.

"Yeah, ya see now don't ya" said Daryl.

Rick rubbed his hand down over the scruff on his face. God, what he wouldn't give for a razor right now. He was hoping they had some supplies at this new base. They had carried all they could possibly get on their backs but he feared it wasn't enough. He was thanking their lucky stars that it wasn't that far of a walk, otherwise he didn't know how in the world they would make it there, their whole group intact. It wasn't as if he wasn't used to being on the road, they had done that before, but after everything that had happened, it made him nervous. Truth be told, he wasn't over everything they had seen at Sanctuary Station. He probably wouldn't ever be over it, he thought with an involuntary shudder.

As they came up over the crest of the hill they had been climbing, they could see the military base below. For the first time in a while, Rick had a surge of hope. The place seemed to be clear of walkers and it had fences all around the base. Plus more fences on the inside from the looks of it. Course they had fences before and it hadn't mattered one whit in the end, he thought.

Daryl exchanged a momentous glance. They were both thinking the same thing. At least they had agreed that they could trust this Ford guy's group. They figured if he or their group had wanted to hurt them they would have done so when they had run into them the first time.

Beth was about to collapse by the time they got to the gates. She had been lazy for too long at the lodge, she thought. She had gotten sadly out of shape over the past few weeks. They reached the gates in a matter of minutes, the gates being slid open by a very tall, very muscular man. He had a flat top hair cut and a handle bar mustache. He kinda looked like a biker type but when he spoke his voice was deep and authoritative with a southern inflection.

"Welcome to Fort Henry folks. We'll all get acquainted at supper time. Rosita here will show you where your rooms are". He smiled then and Beth just got the impression that he was all tough guy on the outside but when he smiled, well he looked like a big old teddy bear. Well if teddy bears had mustaches, she amended.

They looked around as they took in their new surroundings. There was a large central building, which they were told was the mess hall and conference area. There was a shower house too, with running hot water and Beth almost cried at the sound of that. She tried to remember the last time she had a shower and she thought it had probably been at the prison. There was a large amount of other outbuildings that were being used as dormitories for the other fifteen people besides all of them. It was going to be strange living with other people again, thought Beth. She looked over at Daryl who was eyeing everything warily.

Beth handed Judith off to Rick as she followed another girl, Tara was her name she thought, to the last building on the right before you got to the mess hall. It was a simple square building comprised of a central living area and four bedrooms, a quad they called it. The bedrooms were small and simple. Carol , Mika and Lily took one bedroom and she and Daryl took the other empty one. Evidently the other two were already occupied. Beth wondered vaguely who they would be sharing their living quarters with over the next few months. At least their quad was away from some of the others. They would at least have some privacy.

Daryl and Beth walked in their room and sat their packs down on the chair beside the door. The room was comprised of two chairs, two bedside tables, a dresser and a bed. Tara was explaining the daily schedule to them. "You missed lunch but there should still be some stuff left on the table in the mess hall. She explained. Showers are done in rotations; new arrivals get automatic first dibs on the shower when they get here. That's so we can stand to eat with you." She smiled at them and Beth had to laugh at that.

"Thank you so much. You are so kind". Beth smiled at Tara. She seemed very sweet.

"You're welcome. I'll leave you all to get settled. Feel free to explore the base. Supper is at 6 sharp." She then turned on her heel and left them to familiarizing themselves with their new home for the new few months. Beth sighed as she sat on the bed and Daryl put his bow against the wall and sat down beside her.

Daryl looked at Beth and saw she was smiling. "What are you smiling about?" He asked her, putting his hand on her thigh. He knew it was awful but he couldn't help but touch her sometimes. She was just sunshine and a summer rain, all rolled into one, he thought. He found that he made excuses just so he could touch her, which was crazy. He was her husband after all.

"Nothing, just thinking about what I said last night." She had that twinkle in her eye when she knew she was right about something.

He rolled his eyes at her. "What's that?" Yeah he would bite he supposed. He knew what she was getting at.

"There are still good people Daryl." She playfully shoved her shoulder into his and smiled at him.

He tackled her to the bed and grabbed her ribs, squeezing just slightly. He flashed her a wicked grin. "I'll teach ya to tell me "I told ya so". He laughed as she squealed. He loved that he could make her laugh. He loved that she thought he was funny. He loved everything about her. "Ya know, you're still my everything." He looked at her meaningfully and she could tell that he was remembering how they used to tell each other how they felt.

She smiled and sighed against him. "You're my everything too." And he was.

**Okay guys, my muse was being a real bitch tonight. Pulling this chapter out of my brain was like pulling teeth. I'm still not happy with it but I got it as good as I could because I was determined to put something up tonight. Thanks so much for the reviews and PMs I have gotten. It means SOOOOOOO much! It's truly inspiring and you guys give me a lot of good ideas too. Hope you enjoy and please leave me love on the way out. Until next time, xoxoxoxo **


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Daryl was supposed to be sleeping. One of the first rules of the base was that new arrivals didn't take watch the first night. Everyone in their arrival party was supposed to be sleeping right now and for the most part, everyone was, but Daryl was restless and couldn't ever sleep good in a new place. He had left Beth curled up in their bed to go walk the fence line, an old habit that had never died even this long after the fall of the prison. He used to do it all the time when they were back at the prison. Even if it wasn't his night to take watch, if you wanted to find Daryl at midnight, he could usually be found checking the fences, securing any gaps, taking out any stray walkers that might be encroaching the safety threshold of the fences. He wasn't stupid, he didn't go out past the fences after dark but if he felt uneasy about going to sleep, he made it his business of making certain everyone in the prison was safe behind those gates. Daryl may not be a lot of other things but a protector was a natural role for him. It's just what he did.

He thought now that they were finally someplace relatively safe from the walkers, maybe he could get back to training Beth again some. She was better than she used to be but he would feel a whole hell of a lot better if she had more training and tracking under her belt. He always hated to go off on runs and leave her there without him. It wasn't that he doubted the others could protect her adequately, it was just that Daryl protected what was his. Not that Beth was property but she was his people now. She was his wife. And he would protect her at all costs or die trying. But, he reasoned, if she could protect herself, then he was doing them both one better. She could watch his back too when they were out there together. Daryl wasn't going to kid himself into thinking that this base was any safer than the prison had been. In his mind, there wasn't gonna be anyplace safe enough until there were no more walkers left on the planet. Even then, you had people to worry about. Sometimes, Daryl thought, that was worse. People could do the worst things to each other; human nature had proved that time and time again.

Daryl walked closer to the fence line in the far northwest corner of the base. He could swear he saw a gap in the line and he felt his heart drop. The last thing they needed was a breech. But evidently it was the way the moonlight had reflected upon the cold metal of the fences. He pulled roughly at the links to make sure they were sturdy enough. Not much budging there; satisfied, he continued his inspection. He was told that Abraham and his guys had been thorough in checking the fence lines for any potential breeches, but it never hurt to check twice or even a third time, reasoned Daryl.

He hoped Beth was sleeping good. He had already decided that training started in the morning. Beth had fallen instantly to sleep after they had made love. He smiled as he remembered her idea to break in their new room the proper way, as she called it. She was a little vixen, his Beth. And god help him, he couldn't get enough of her physically. A man his age should be having trouble by now, he thought. At least that's what he heard. But if anything, he had more stamina now than ever and it never took him long to get aroused again after they had sex. It blew a hole right in the theory people had always talked about, men being in their prime at 18 and women at age 40. With Beth, it was the exact opposite. Beth was a very generous lover and she had learned fast in the time that they had been together. For all her inexperience, she knew exactly which of Daryl's buttons to press.

Daryl had worked his way around back to the front of the base where he had started. He was finally starting to get tired so he started to make his way back to their quad, already looking forward to crawling in beside Beth. He was almost to the door when he heard someone call his name in a whispered tone. He would know that voice anywhere.

Rick was coming towards him in the dark. Daryl propped his bow up on the wall of the quad and waited for Rick to reach him. Rick pulled his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and passed them and the matches to Daryl wordlessly. Daryl smirked at him. "I knew there was a reason I liked you". Daryl said as he took the cigarette out of the pack and lit it, drawing in the nicotine, feeling the burn in the back of his throat, returning like an old friend.

Rick chuckled. This was an old song and dance of theirs. Rick still carried a pack with him, just like always. Course it was getting harder to keep his pack supplied now that Daryl and Jenna both knew he carried them with him. And Rick wasn't gonna lie. He had fallen off the wagon a couple of times, usually with Jenna. Something about that woman made him want to be bad. And he wasn't sure how he felt about it. He just figured if you didn't die of cancer, you'd probably get taken down by a walker. He wasn't up to smoking every day or anything like that, well almost, he amended. He and Jenna usually found a way to sneak away together at least once a day. And then sex with Jenna was always fuckin' hot and he nearly always had to have a cigarette so he yeah he was probably having at least one cigarette a day at that.

"What happened to your pack man?" Daryl questioned and Rick looked at him sheepishly and grinned.

"You've been smoking em?" Daryl raised his eyebrow at Rick.

Rick looked down at the ground and then over at the fences, watching a couple of stray walkers wander around. Didn't look to be much of a threat right now. "What can I say brother? Ya know ya gotta have a smoke after a good fuck." Rick had never been one to talk about things like this, but this was Daryl. They were like family.

Daryl looked at Rick and laughed outright. "I hear ya, man." Then he nodded at him. "So you and Jenna still a thing?" He was genuinely curious.

"I don't know what we are exactly." Rick ran a hand down over his scruff. Jenna had been after him to shave it for days now. Said it was too scratchy when he went down on her. He guessed he'd be having to do something about the beard. "I mean, I like her and she's hot as hell".

Daryl nodded at Rick. "Yeah she's a pretty lady". Rick looked up at his comrade, Daryl was always so respectful, he thought. He didn't think he had ever heard him say anything derogatory about any woman.

"And she's great in bed. But she's damaged man." Rick pointed to his head when he said the words. Daryl knew what he was trying to say. He could sense it too. He didn't know Jenna's story but he figured there was an abusive man somewhere in her past. He had seen the signs too many times to not recognize them.

"She's so damn independent. Won't let me do shit for her." Rick shook his head. "She ain't nothin' like Lori" And Rick didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Nah, she's different alright. You think it's going anywhere with you two". Daryl asked, taking another drag off his cigarette and flicking the ashes to the ground.

"I don't know man. " Rick said shaking his head. "She's pretty, she's funny. She thinks I'm sexy" Rick looked up at Daryl devilishly. "Of course".

"Of course" agreed Daryl laughing. "Damn sexy". They both laughed, trying to keep their voices down since they were right outside the quad.

Daryl stubbed his cigarette out and pocketed the butt. He thought he remembered seeing a trash can in the common area of the quad. "What are you even doin out here this late" Rick asked him, all business now.

"Ah man you know me, I was checkin' the fence lines. Just makin sure is all". Daryl picked his bow up and slung it over his shoulder.

"Guess great minds think alike then. I was doin' the same thing." They both laughed then. "I'm gonna get back before Judy wakes up. See ya at breakfast?" Rick asked, already walking back to his quad.

"Yeah man, see ya then." Daryl closed the door behind him and quietly walked to their room. Beth was in the exact same position as when he left. He propped his bow up beside the bed and quickly undressed, crawling carefully under the covers, so not to wake her.

She stirred under the shift of the mattress. He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. "You been with Rick," Beth murmured sleepily and opened her eyes, peering up at him in the darkness of their room.

"Yeah, how'd ya know". He whispered, pulling her into his arms, unable to resist her warmth and softness.

"You smell like smoke. You only smell like that after you and Rick have been talkin'" She said smartly and smiled at him.

"Is that so?" he whispered huskily. "Does it bother you?" He never considered that she might not like the smell or taste of cigarette smoke.

"Nah, I actually think it's kind of sexy". She said prettily and as if to prove her words, she kissed him hard on the lips, probing his lips with her tongue. He moaned against her mouth. He deepened their kiss, slanting his head to the right so he could have full access to her mouth. He pulled back away slightly.

"Oh, ya do huh?" Daryl murmured gruffly. "What else you think is sexy about me?" he asked her boldly. He had never felt as free to express himself as he did with her.

Beth leaned up on her elbow and reached between them, taking his already hardened length into her hand. "Absolutely everythin'" she said as she started spreading kisses down his chest looking up at him as she did so, her eyes half-lidded with desire and passion.

He groaned aloud as she wrapped her lips around his cock and he lightly fisted his hands in her long blond hair, loving the feel of her mouth on him. As she went to work on sucking him to orgasm, Daryl realized that he actually felt sexy. She brought that out in him. For the first time in his life, Daryl believed what somebody was telling him. He didn't know what he had done to deserve Beth Greene, now Beth Dixon, in his life, but right now he wasn't gonna question it.

**I know this chapter was pretty much Daryl centric but I wanted to make sure that Daryl and Rick keep that bromance going you know? ! And we did get a little glimpse of Bethyl loving in the end right? I am excited about where this story is going next. I debated about ending it maybe and having a sequel or putting it on hiatus for a little while (But the word hiatus scares me for obvious reasons) and starting an AU that I have a really good idea for. But then my muse decided not to be a bitch today and I got a lot of really good ideas so I am probably going to alternate doing updates for each story starting some time next week. I have to work this weekend so any updates will probably be sparse after tonight until Monday. Anything in particular you guys want to see in an AU? Slower burn? Any ideas are welcome. If you have never reviewed or if you do all the time, now is the time guys. You are so awesome and I highly value your opinions. This would be no fun and completely pointless without you guys reading it. This is your story as much as it is mine. So enjoy and leave me love on the way out, pretty please. Until next time, xoxoxoxo **


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Beth got up early the next morning and grabbed Judith from Rick. He and Daryl had an early morning meeting with Sargeant Ford and a couple of others from his group. She dressed the little girl in warm clothing, in layers. The air had a bit of a bite to it this morning and she was suddenly glad Daryl had insisted on that run they had done a couple weeks back. Otherwise she guessed poor Judy would be wearing something fashioned from old army blankets. "And we can't have that now can we baby girl" murmured Beth as she dressed her in a pair of leggings, socks and boots with a cute little shirt and pink sweater to match. She completed the look with an adorable pink toboggan and they were all set. She picked her up and walked out to make the trip across the base to the mess hall. Beth hadn't really gotten a good feel for any of the new people the night before at dinner so she was a little nervous about breakfast, although she wasn;t sure why. When she thought about, maybe they were pretty nervous too. They were the actual new people. She resolved to be positive and happy like she normally was. It wouldn't hurt that she had an adorable baby on her hip to break the ice, she thought smartly. When she walked in, she already saw Glenn and Maggie which surprised her. They weren't usually early risers unless someone forced them to be. Of course, everyone's internal clock was probably pretty messed up from the erratic schedules they had had to follow since they left the walls of the prison.

She walked in and got herself and Judith a bowl of oatmeal and a canned pears. A simple breakfast but perfect for Judy and for her, for that matter. Beth had never really been a big breakfast person anyway. She walked over to where Glenn and Maggie were sitting chatting to a couple of the new people. Beth chastised herself, vowing to find out their names. She felt stupid referring them to the new people in her head when it was their group that was new to the base.

One of them she recognized from the night before, Tara. The other two she had seen at dinner but they hadn't really talked to anyone much the night before. There had been a lot to get done by supper and afterwards, everyone was too tired to do much other than get ready for bed.

Introductions were made over the table. Beth extended her hand to an older guy named Gary and then to a girl who appeared to be the same age as herself, Sara. She seemed very sweet. She had strawberry blonde hair and bright green eyes. She was very pretty and she knew she was right about that because there was a boy about her age that walked up to them trying to act all nonchalant, when it was clear that he was sweet on Sara. He introduced himself as Spencer. He was a tall guy, looked like he hadn't even stopped growing yet. Beth was only 5 feet 3 inches in shoes and she had to extend her neck to be able to look up at him even sitting at the table. She was betting that he was taller than Daryl.

Judith was wiggling around on her lap waiting on her breakfast and everyone chuckled at the little girl's impatience. "Hurry up Mama" Sara said jokingly and she and Maggie exchanged a look. They hadn't really covered this yet; what they were supposed to tell people but Beth supposed the truth was always the best path. "Oh she's not mine. Her mama died bringing her into the world."

Sara nodded sagely. She knew all about loss because one by one she had lost her entire family when the virus spread. Her dad had been the last to go, just three months ago before Sargeant Ford had found her holed up in a Walmart. Thinking back, she wasn't sure how she had survived but she guessed it was a good thing.

Maggie spoke up then "Oh Bethie you know you're as good as that girl's mama". She smiled at her baby sister. She was so proud of the woman she had become; here she was a married lady and taking care of a baby and most of the time all on her own.

Beth just smiled shyly. "Judith is a joint effort. We all help out with her. Her Daddy is Rick, you'll meet him later". Beth explained.

"Well speak of the devil" said Maggie.

Beth turned to see who she was speaking of to see Rick and Daryl walk into the mess hall. Daryl caught her gaze and waved to her.

Everyone was surprised when Spencer said something as he hadn't said a word so far. He appeared to be entranced by every word that Sara uttered. "Is that your dad?" Beth looked around to see who he was talking to. She felt too things at once, brief sadness and surprise. She knew that it couldn't be her dad but the way Spencer was looking at her, she thought he had been talking to her. "Me?" she pointed at her chest.

"Yeah the guy who waved to you." he gestured to where Daryl and Rick were heading over to sit with them.

Beth was too stunned to say anything at all and by the time she could form a response Daryl had walked over to the table. Beth cringed. She didn't want to be rude and not answer his question but she didn't want to answer it in front of Daryl either. Spencer thought Daryl was her father? She knew there was an age difference but was that really what other people saw? Beth did the only thing she could think of and that was to glaze over the situation, hoping noone noticed, especially Daryl. Something like that might not sit well with him. "This is my husband Daryl" Beth gestured to Daryl who had taken a seat next to Beth and was now playing with Judith and feeding her some of his pears. He nodded his head at Spencer. Beth continued the introductions and sent a desperate glance to Maggie hoping she would come to her rescue. Thankfully her sister did not disappoint.

"This is Rick, Judith's daddy". Maggie gestured to Rick who nodded a hello, as did Daryl. Beth breathed a sigh of relief and shot a thank you smile to Maggie. Crisis averted.

She looked at Spencer to see his reaction. Sara was shooting him evil glances and the poor kid probably didn't know the trouble he had just escaped. It struck Beth odd all the sudden that she thought of Spencer as a kid when he had just said he was 19; the same age as Beth. But how was it that he was so much more immature than Beth. She knew she looked young but she didn't think she was as naive as Spencer seemed.

Beth took a couple of bites of oatmeal in between feeding Judy who was bouncing happily on Beth's lap as she ate. Daryl had already finished his oatmeal and was finishing up his pears. Beth smiled over at him. She wondered if he knew how he attacked his food with a vengeance. He looked at her and laughed as he finished his food. "What, I was hungry?" He didn't even have the grace to blush. Food was something that Daryl was fierce about. When they had been at the prison, she had seen him put away an exorbitant amount of food. Then again, he did work off a lot of it hunting and killing walkers. She guessed that none of them probably consumed the proper amount of calories on any given day.

Daryl got up and took their dishes to the wash area and walked back over to where she was still sitting with Judith. Daryl dropped a quick kiss on Beth's lips and then the top of Judith's head. "Be back at lunch. We're gonna go back and plan a run for the next day or two." He explained.

Beth waved at his retreating form and Judith was mocking her. Beth was delighted at Judith's advances in her motor skills. She worried that she was not developing as fast as she should being in the environment they were in and no exposure to any kids her age. But when she mastered things like this and handling a cup, which she was doing so much better with, it thrilled Beth.

Pretty soon everyone had excused themselves but Beth and Maggie. They were sitting with Judith and finishing their coffee. Leave it to Maggie to bring up the elephant in the room. "Yeah that wasn't awkward at all" Maggie said.

"I know! I was worried that Daryl was gonna hear him. Does it look that bad, Mags?" She really wanted her sister's honest opinion.

"Nah it really doesn't. Somehow you two just. Fit." Maggie stated simply. "And you don't even have to try". Maggie finished.

Beth gave a derisive snort. "Hah. You should have seen us before we had to tell you." Beth rolled her eyes for effect. "I'd had a crush on him forever, Mags. I didn't ever dream when we lost the prison that me and Daryl would end up on our own like we did. But if we hadn't, I don't think we would have ever gotten together. He was so sure that he was wrong for me." Beth reminisced. It wasn't that long ago, but sometimes it felt like she had known Daryl forever. LIke they had been together forever instead of just a few short months.

"Well how did it happen? We never get to talk about this stuff anymore. It feels good" Maggie grinned at Beth evilly.

"He kissed me first. It was really sweet. Well actually it was totally awkward." Beth laughed at the memory remembering their first kiss, then all the firsts.

Maggie laughed. "Yeah it's kind of supposed to be that way. No, I mean, when did you first do it." Maggie asked boldly.

Beth blushed and looked up at her sister in disbelief. "Maggie" Beth whispered.

"Oh come on Bethie, you're a married woman now. Besides I told you all about me and Glenn when we first got together. Remember?" Maggie reminded her sister.

"I know, I just didn't want anyone to hear us." Beth explained. "Well our first time was amazing."

Maggie interrupted, eager for the story. "So he's good huh?" Maggie wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"No, I mean, yeah he's very good". Beth blushed and said again "Very good" and emphasized the word good. Maggie raised her eyebrows at that, impressed that her sister was so well versed in sex this early in life. Maggie didn't think she had gotten the hang of it until she was at least 21. Of course, she didn't have somebody like Daryl showing her the ropes at the time, she mused.

"I sprained my ankle on the railroad tracks and we found this cabin. Daryl had to wait on me hand and foot. And I have to admit, I did tease him a bit. I wore as little clothing as possible while we were in that cabin." Beth laughed at the memory. She had been shameless actually in seducing Daryl, but she wasn't one bit sorry. "Oh Maggie, it was so romantic. It was so much better than I had made it out in my mind. Better than Mary Ann and Grace had described it." Beth admitted.

Maggie nodded her head. "Yeah my first time wasn't that great. Be glad you waited until you found somebody you really love Bethie". Beth nodded. She was too. Because she loved Daryl with all her heart. She couldn't imagine being with anyone else ever again.

"Things are still good with Glenn right" Beth asked.

"Oh yeah, it's great." Maggie said. They both got up to go see where they could help. They had been chatting there for a while at the table until the whole mess hall had cleared out. They both figured they could help out with laundry or some other chore. There had always been plenty to do at the prison.

When they walked over to the chart in the mess hall at the job chart, they discovered that they could probably help with inventory. Maggie helped Beth get Judy's pack and play from Rick's room and get it set up in the main building where inventory was being conducted.

As Beth sat Judith down in the pack and play, she realized there were no other children there besides the Mika, Lily and Carl. The only other young people there were Sara and Spencer. Beth had been hoping to make friends when they got here; maybe her and Sara would hit it off. Beth realized how much she had enjoyed her conversation with Maggie in the mess hall. She had really missed her sister. She looked over at Maggie who was counting blankets and sheets. They were taking stock of what they would need for the winter. "Thanks for the girl talk Mags" Beth smiled warmly at Maggie who reached over and hugged her.

"You too Bethie. I really missed you." Maggie admitted.

"Me too" Beth started counting cans of applesauce, thinking to herself that she hoped things could just stay this way, if only for a little while. For the first time in a really long time, Beth felt like they had a chance at a normal life. Then she thought about what defined normal. It certainly wasn't the normal of the farm, either before or after the turn, but it felt a lot like when they had first gotten to the prison. It had a sense of community; they had a sense of purpose. For the first time in months it felt like they could do more than just survive. Maybe they could actually thrive.

**Thank you, thank you, thank you goes out to a couple of my readers. To cindylou123 who asked how others were going to accept Daryl and Beth's relationship. It gave a good chance for some dialogue. And I also have to mention princebuddy who asked that Maggie and Beth have some sister time. It worked perfectly into what happened in the chapter. So thanks guys. And as for the rest, I don't even know if I can take credit for this chapter. The characters wrote it. I am simply their puppet. Okay my dears, let me know what you think. Review review. :) Until next time, xoxoxoxo.**

**PS - please forgive any typos, I am soooo tired and have to work 13 hours tomorrow. **


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

The group had no sooner settled into their new home when a smaller group of people arrived. There were four and they were a rag tag bunch. It actually forced Daryl to think about their own group. He guessed they could be considered rag tag as well. A sheriff, a samurai, a redneck bow hunter, and the rest of them. He thought for a moment which role he would assign to Beth. She did so much for their group. Hell she did everything for him, took care of Judy without complaint, helped wrangle the rest of the kids, killed walkers. Daryl thought that there probably wasn't anything Beth couldn't do once she set her mind to it. He guessed if he was pressed to choose, she was an angel. He smiled at the thought. Well, not in the bedroom, he amended. In the bedroom, Beth was a she-devil. He grinned to himself, thinking of all the times she had surprised him. She was an adventurous woman sexually and he loved it.

He gave the new group a once over. Somehow he had gotten assigned the job of giving the newbies a tour. Whoever had put him in this position really didn't know him at all. He'd rather be out slaying a herd of walkers than playing tour guide.

Beth kept getting tickled every time she glanced over at Daryl getting ready to show the new group around the base. She would love to know who put Daryl in charge of giving a tour. He looked so uncomfortable, she could practically hear his thoughts screaming. He looked like he'd rather peel back his own eyelids right about now. Beth grinned over at him wickedly and he just scowled back at her. Beth just turned away so he wouldn't see her laughing. Oh there'd be hell to pay for this later, she knew. That was probably part of why she did it. She loved their playing and bantering but when Daryl was annoyed with her was often when they had the best sex. It was also why they could never stay mad at each other for long.

"Why doesn't everyone go and grab a couple of blankets and towels from the storage room. Everyone is responsible for washing their own items. Daryl will be waiting at the mess hall when you get done." They were in the front building of the base, which they had converted into a meeting and conference center and it also served a third purpose for orienting new people to their camp.

The new people consisted of Jason, a pretty college boy, thought Daryl. By lookin' at the guy, he was surprised he had made it so far in their world. He didn't look like he could fight off a cockroach, let alone a walker. Then there was a girl about Mika's age, Summer. The two girls were fast friends from the very moment they met. Mika was chattering happily to Summer. "I have two dolls, you can have one if you want. My momma tells us the best stories. And even better, this place has a library with like a thousand books." The new little girl just nodded and smiled. She had not been able to say much since Mika was a little chatterbox. Her mama was Lucy. Lucy looked like she had seen better days. She looked sick to Daryl. He wondered about it but didn't give it much thought. God knew he looked like hell enough times when they had been out on the road. He probably looked like hell right now, he thought. He had been hunting all morning and had had to kill more than a few walkers. He hadn't even had time to clean up when the new group had arrived, worn and bedraggled looking. The last one, a kid, Daryl couldn't get a read on. He kind of stood off from the rest of the group. He looked like he was about ten or so, Ben was his name. He had long black shaggy hair that hung down over his eyes. He would barely meet anyone's gaze. It made Daryl distrust him instantly.

Daryl was still standing by the door, getting ready to head to the mess hall, when he saw college boy head over and start talking to Beth. Something flared in him then. Made him feel sick and sad all at the same time. He didn't know what to make of it. He watched from a distance for a while, wondering what the guy could want with his wife. Beth was just standing and talking to Maggie.

"I'm Beth" Beth introduced herself to the new guy. The new people looked nice enough. She extended her hand.

"I'm Jason. " Jason accepted her hand, but held it just a little too long for Beth's taste. She frowned and glanced around to see if Daryl was nearby, pulling her hand from Jason's grasp. She finally spotted Daryl by the door and from the look on his face, he had just seen everything.

Rick walked over just then and took Judith out of her arms. Judy was kicking and cooing at her Daddy. "Da-da." They all laughed and waved as Rick walked away with Judith.

"That your husband?" Jason asked her. He looked a little annoyed, Beth thought.

Beth and Maggie both laughed at that. "No" They answered in unison.

Jason looked relieved. "Whew, thought you were taken there for a minute." He grinned at her suggestively. If Beth had any doubt a few moments ago that this guy was actually flirting with her, they were all erased now.

"She _is_ taken". Daryl walked up behind them and put his arm around Beth's shoulder, protectively, possessively.

Maggie's eyes went wide and looked to Beth for her reaction. Daryl was jealous of Jason. Oh this was good. Maggie just couldn't resist. "_This_ is Beth's husband". Maggie announced and crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for what was going to happen next. She was so glad she had decided to stay behind and help Beth with getting the new people settled. She would have missed all the action. Wait until she told Glenn, she thought. She looked from Beth to Daryl and Daryl looked absolutely pissed.

"Who's asking?" Daryl nodded his head at Beth.

"Hi sweetie. " Beth plastered a smile on her face. Daryl did not look happy. She had never seen him jealous before. "It's so funny. Jason thought I was married to Rick. Isn't that hilarious?" Beth forced a laugh. Maggie tried to play along and laughed with Beth. But it just rang hollow.

Daryl snorted. "Yeah, hilarious.

Jason quickly excused himself, clearly embarrassed by the whole situation. "Sorry everyone. Didn't mean to make things awkward". He mumbled as he walked off. Well wasn't that the understatement of the year, thought Daryl.

They all watched him walk away. Daryl didn't know what had come over him. He had seen college boy take Beth's hand and the way he gripped it didn't set well with Daryl, at all. He was across the room in a flash and then he had heard Jason ask if Beth was taken. When the words passed through Daryl's brain, it was as if someone else took over. Suddenly he had his arm around Beth, staking his claim like some kind of cave man. He didn't even recognize himself in that instant and he didn't like the way this was making him feel. He hadn't known he could be jealous before. But seeing that creep with Beth's hand in his made him want to punch a wall and he knew that was irrational.

Beth hissed at Daryl as they watched Jason walk away. "What's wrong with you? They are new. You didn't have to be so rude. He was just asking a question." Beth knew she was silly to be mad, but he had walked over there and put his arm around her like she was some kind of thing, a possession.

"I'm rude?" Daryl's voice actually raised a little and Beth cringed. Daryl was known to have a fierce temper but ever since they had had it out back at the cabin, they had not had a fight. Looked like that was about to change, thought Beth. "You're the one standing there batting your eyelashes at that stupid little college prick". He said angrily.

Beth's jaw dropped open and Maggie quickly excused herself. "I'll see you guys later. I have to be, um, anywhere but here."

Beth and Daryl were now facing each other, Daryl's expression brooding and surly. Beth had her hands on her hips and was glaring at him. "Batting my eyelashes" she repeated incredulously. "I did no such thing, Daryl Dixon". She was absolutely outraged. She had not done anything wrong and she didn't appreciate him insinuating that she did. "Just because someone stuck you with a job you don't like doesn't mean you get to treat everybody else like crap ya know." She raged at him.

"That ain't got nothin' to do with any of this" Daryl argued, desperately wishing for a smoke right about now. This woman was aiming to drive him crazy, he just knew it.

"I can't believe you are acting like. Like." Beth was so furious she couldn't even form her words. He was acting like a two year old. "Such a child! When you are ready to apologize to me, come fine me." Beth shoved her pointer finger into his chest to emphasize her point and stalked off.

Daryl watched her go and felt his stomach sink all the way to his feet. The fight just suddenly went out of him. He didn't want to fight with Beth but when he saw that guy trying to make a move on her, he just saw red. Course, if Daryl was going to admit it, the color was probably closer to green. He knew he had acted like a jealous asshole and he didn't want to be that guy. He just loved Beth so much and he knew there was a part of him that still thought she would be better off with somebody else. He didn't know if he would ever feel confident in her feelings for him. He knew she loved him, sure, she told him that all the time, but the unconscious thought that it might not be forever dug at his brain. He couldn't imagine his world without Beth in it and thinking about Beth with another guy made him want to beat the hell out of something.

He trudged out the door to make his way to the mess hall. About the last damn thing he wanted to do right now was babysit a bunch of tourists, but he had said he would do it. And Daryl was nothing if not a man of his word. As he walked over to the waiting group, his only thought was of Beth. He just wanted to make things right with her, because right now, everything felt all kinds of wrong.

**AN: I know, you are probably going to kill me. A cliffhanger and an icky one at that. Poor Daryl! Poor Beth! I don't like when they fight either but fighting is only natural in a relationship. And even though jealousy is common in relationships, I think it would be something hard for Daryl to get hold of in the heat of the moment. Norman said it himself. Daryl is kind of like an animal. You give him someplace warm and he will follow you forever. This is how Daryl feels about Beth. She is his warmth. She is his safe place. And he has NEVER had that. Literally never. So when something comes along and threatens to upset his sense of safety, warmth and comfort, of course he is going to fly off the handle. Part of that "following forever" thing is that he will die protecting what is his. He has already established that. Beth being his, the protector is going to rise above everything else. So god help anyone who gets in the way. Stay tuned for the next chapter. I promise you won't regret it. Hehehe So leave me some love on the way out if you feel inclined (begging readers to be inclined). Thank you for reading! Until next time, xoxoxoxo. **


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Beth walked away fuming. At the moment, she couldn't recall a time when she had been angrier with anybody. She loved him so much but he infuriated her sometimes. She had been uncomfortable with Jason's lingering gaze and the way he had held her hand a little bit too long for it to be anything other than a friendly handshake. Even more so, and as angry as she was, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Daryl. He couldn't really help his emotions. This was all new to the both of them, she tried to reminder herself. But Beth was nothing if not a southern belle and hospitality was something that had been ingrained in her at an early age. Maybe it was because she had lived on the farm her whole life, but living in the country in a small town like she did, you just couldn't help but be nice to people.

Plus her Daddy would skin her alive if she was anything but respectful of others. Well, probably not skin her hide she thought. Sure there were times that had gotten spankings when she was a little girl. She, Maggie and Shawn had gotten into a world of trouble at times. But honestly of all the Greene kids, Beth knew that she had gotten a lot less discipline than Maggie or Shawn had. She supposed it was because of her being the baby and all. She had heard Maggie complain about it all the time before the world had gone to hell. That she had never gotten by with anything, but Beth got away with murder.

Beth sighed. How had a fight with Daryl led to her melancholy over her Daddy. But Beth knew why. It was because her whole life was wrapped up in Daryl now. He was her anchor and when there was no anchor on a boat, it went drifting out to sea. Beth thought that aptly described how she was feeling right now, like a ship being tossed about on the waves, needing to drop anchor but being at the mercy of the winds and the elements, just like Beth was at the mercy of the depth of her feelings for Daryl. She loved him so much it scared her sometimes. And when he acted like he did a little while ago, Beth caught a glimpse of the Daryl back at the farm. He had softened a lot since then and she'd like to think that part of it was because of her. She knew his lashing out had been out of his insecurity but it didn't excuse the fact that he had accused her of flirting back. Because she had done no such thing. Thing is, she thought Daryl probably knew it too. She had meant it though. She was not going to back down. He was going to have to find a way to apologize. She loved him but she wouldn't tolerate accusations and rudeness, not even from him. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Daryl swore for the fifth time in as many minutes. He was trying to get the other generator running. Damn motor was rusted something awful and the parts were sticking together. He had been trying to loosen a bolt for the past ten minutes and it wasn't budging. He tried loosening it with the wrench he had found in the mechanic shop across the base and nicked his finger, a bead of blood coming to the surface. He wiped it absently on his pants and tried again, feeling it give a tiny bit. Satisfied, he pulled a little harder and finally felt the thing loosen. He just hoped he hadn't stripped the bearings on it. Because he didn't know where in the hell he would find any replacement parts for a generator these days. He could improvise sure, but it would be tough. Daryl lost himself in working for the next hour or so. That was the great thing about working on mechanical things. He could lose himself in it. Could probably put a car back together with his eyes shut. It was mindless work that he could do while his mind wandered or he could concentrate every fiber of his being on his work so he didn't have to think at all. What he wouldn't give for some good music right now. That was what Daryl loved best when he was knee deep in work or pissed off at something like he was now. He could put on a pair of headphones and blast some Iron Maiden or AC/DC and he would feel better in no time. Something about the pounding of the bass and the steely sounds of the guitar soothed him. Made him feel reckless and in control all at the same time.

He thought back to the episode in the mess hall and he mentally cursed himself again. He knew he had acted like a jackass. He could practically hear Beth screaming it at him through her thoughts when she had walked away. Whew, he had really made her mad and the thing was, he had no fucking idea how he was going to say he was sorry. The look she had given him, the way she had shoved her tiny little finger on his chest, and stalking off, her hips swinging as she stomped away, he knew she meant it. He was going to have to say he was sorry. And that was something Daryl didn't know a damn thing about. He thought back to the notebook that they sometimes still wrote in for each other. He wanted to do that again, but then he figured there wasn't a song ever written that said "Sorry I was a douche bag." He was just no good at saying he was sorry. Then all the sudden as if some part of his subconscious was trying to tell him something, he thought of that old Chicago song something about being hard to say sorry. He was glad he was all by himself so he could say the words out loud and tested them on his tongue. He bet Beth could really sing that song. He wondered absently if she knew it but as well versed in all things music he was fairly certain she would have heard it. It was probably before her time, he thought. That always gave him pause. He was just a little kid when the song had come out, but Beth hadn't even been thought of yet. But when he looked at Beth and held her in his arms, it was hard to imagine that age difference between them.

The more he thought about the song and apologizing to Beth, the faster he worked. He still hadn't gotten the generator running but at least he had the damn thing taken apart. It wouldn't be hard to pick up tomorrow where he left off. It was already getting on supper time so he rushed to put his tools away before walking back to their quad. He only hoped Beth wasn't in their room so he could get everything written out before they came back to their room tonight.

He was glad he didn't run into anyone who mattered. He got back to the room and found the notebook and a pencil and began scrawling out the lyrics.

Everybody needs a little time away,

I heard her say, from each other.

Even lovers need a holiday, far away from each other.

Hold me now, its hard for me to say Im sorry. I just want you to stay.

After all that we've been through, I will make it up to you.

I promise to.

After all that's been said and done,

You're just a part of me I can't let go.

Couldn't stand to be kept away

Just for today, from your body.

Didn't want to be swept away, far away from the one that I love.

Hold me now, I really want to tell you I'm sorry. I could never let you go.

After all that we've been through, I will make it up to you.

I promise to.

After all that's been said and done, you're just a part of me I can't let go.

I'm so sorry Beth. I should have never said what I said to you. I only hope you can forgive me and give me a chance to "make it up to you".

Love,

Daryl

* * *

Daryl ran into Rick on the way to the mess hall. He was hoping to catch Beth before everyone else got there to eat. Rick looked like he was waiting on someone.

"Waiting on somebody?" He asked him.

Rick shoved himself away from the wall he had been leaning on right by the door to the mess hall. "Yeah you. Heard there was an incident this morning." He tried to keep the smile from his face but he honestly thought it was funny that Daryl was jealous of some stupid kid. It was just like him to think that Beth would ever even give another guy a chance. She barely had given Zach a chance. The more he thought about Beth and Daryl, the more it made sense to Rick. That's why he couldn't help but rib him a bit. He knew if the situation was reversed, Daryl wouldn't pull any punches.

Daryl smirked at him. "Yeah, I'm in deep shit man. Beth's pissed at me". He looked out to the fences, making certain there weren't walkers piling up out there and was satisfied to see that it looked pretty quiet. There were always a few stragglers but tonight it seemed like it was even more quiet than usual. He figured it was because it was getting colder. This was a difference from the past couple of winters. He wondered if it got harder to move in the cold because they were so badly decayed. The thought was really creepy but he figured that was why.

Rick nodded his head. "Yeah I heard she told ya off. Bet that was a hard pill to swallow." Rick grimaced and looked at Daryl from the side.

Daryl snorted. "You could say that. I don't think I've ever seen her that mad. Well maybe once when she threw a bag of chips at my head." Daryl laughed at the memory.

Rick bent over with laughter. "When was this?" He asked when he could finally catch his breath. "Man, I woulda paid money to see that. No offense" He added.

Daryl glared at him. "Yeah you wouldn't say that if you saw her in action. She even scares me a little bit and I ain't afraid of nothin'" Daryl said eyeing Rick.

"You don't have to tell me brother. I was married too, remember?" Rick rubbed his hand down over his freshly shaven face. He still had a mustache and goatee but now it was neatly trimmed and clean-cut. The base had razors and he had finally gotten around to using one this morning. He hoped Jenna was going to be pleased with the result and he grinned at the thought.

Daryl blew out a breath and looked at Rick. "Wish me luck man. I'm going in." he said as he pulled open the door to the mess hall.

"You got it, man. You're gonna need it". Rick followed Daryl into the mess hall.

Daryl spotted her instantly and after not seeing her at lunch, she was a sight for sore eyes. Their eyes met and she looked at him coolly before going back to feeding Lil Ass Kicker. His heart thudded in his chest. What was it about this woman that could have him worked up this bad. He felt like he was facing a teacher after getting a bad grade. It hadn't ever set well with Daryl then and this didn't feel any better. In fact, it felt worse. Sure Beth had been mad at him before but that was before all the shit they had been through. He had cared then, sure, but he had definitely cared less. Since that time, Daryl had just fallen more and more in love with Beth every day. He was in deep and there was no turning back now. He decided he didn't want anything to eat. He just wanted to go talk to Beth. He headed straight for their table and sat down beside her, rubbing his hand over Lil Ass Kickers head and tickling her side lightly, earning a delighted squeal from the little girl.

"Hey" That was brilliant, thought Daryl. But it was all he could think of to say. "How was Lil Ass Kicker today?" He figured that was a safe enough subject. He knew that she had Judith all day with Rick busy and most everyone else had been busy too. It would always fall back to Beth to take care of Judith when there wasn't anyone else but she never minded and never complained. He loved that about her.

"She was good." Her eyes softened noticeably when talking about her. "She is talkin' more. She said 'ball' today. We found a soccer ball in the work out room and she wanted to play with it all day. So I pretty much spent all day chasing her around." Judith got excited and started babbling saying "Bah, bah".

Beth rolled her eyes good naturedly and laughed. "Great I'll have to start spelling around her now."

Daryl laughed too but something Beth said had struck him. "There's a work out room?" What he wouldn't give to lift weights. He wondered if he dared to hope they had any equipment.

"Yeah it's in behind the shower house. It's small but they have some free weights and a couple of machines."

"Great, see if you can get somebody to keep Judy one day this week. We need to start training you again and that's a good as a place to start as any." He said thoughtfully as Beth nodded in agreement.

There was a natural pause in the conversation then. "I'm still waitin' ya know". Beth said quietly.

He knew what she was waiting on but he couldn't give her the notebook here. Besides, it was back in the room anyway. "I know. And I have it ready, but I want to do it when we are alone if it's all the same to you." Daryl looked at her cautiously, purposely letting the hair fall down over his eyes so she couldn't see the nervousness in his eyes.

She reached up and pushed his hair back as if reading his thoughts. "Okay. Then let's go" She said simply, looking straight into his eyes with her baby blues.

He watched her get up and followed her to take their plates to kitchen and then trailed behind her as she went to hand off Judith to Rick as was their normal routine when Beth kept her for the day. Rick always got her at night time. Except on those rare occasions when they had a run or he had watch.

He looked at Rick silently willing him to keep silent about everything, but Rick seemed to know better and didn't say anything, but he and Rick had learned pretty effective nonverbal communication a long time ago so he wasn't surprised when Rick looked at him and they exchanged that knowing glance and he nodded his head at him. "Ya'll have a good night". Rick said as he took Judy from Beth's arms.

"You too" they both murmured.

It was a cool night and Beth wrapped her arms around herself as they walked back. She wished she had brought her sweater.

Daryl watched as Beth tried to hide the fact that she was cold. Silly woman never dressed for the weather like she should. She worried about Lil Ass Kicker getting cold but not herself. He shrugged himself out of his black leather jacket and draped it around her shoulders while Beth looked up in surprise and slid her arms in the sleeves and whispered "Thank you".

He nodded at her as they walked the rest of the way in silence, the only sound being the cadence of their boots on the asphalt of the base.

They walked back into their room and Daryl walked over to the bed and gestured for her to sit down. He retrieved the notebook from his pack and handed it to her.

Beth looked up in surprise. It had been a little while since Daryl had written anything in the notebook but then again things had been kind of crazy lately. She flipped to the back where she knew she would find a new entry scribbled out in Daryl's hand-writing.

Everybody needs a little time away,

I heard her say, from each other.

Even lovers need a holiday, far away from each other.

Hold me now, its hard for me to say Im sorry. I just want you to stay.

After all that we've been through, I will make it up to you.

I promise to.

After all that's been said and done,

You're just a part of me I can't let go.

Couldn't stand to be kept away

Just for today, from your body.

Didn't want to be swept away, far away from the one that I love.

Hold me now, I really want to tell you I'm sorry. I could never let you go.

After all that we've been through, I will make it up to you.

I promise to.

After all that's been said and done, you're just a part of me I can't let go.

I'm so sorry Beth. I should have never said what I said to you. I only hope you can forgive me and give me a chance to "make it up to you".

Love,

Daryl

Beth finished the passage and it took longer than usual because of the tears that kept blinding her vision. He had never written Love, Daryl before. The fact that he did now did not escape her attention. God this man drove her crazy, but she loved him so. And when he wrote out his feelings in lyrics, there was something so sweet about it that all her anger just melted away. "You're forgiven" she said as she buried her head against his shoulder.

Daryl released the breath that he had been holding and breathed in the scent of her. He was so thankful for her easy heart and forgiving nature. "You mean it?" He breathed.

"Yes, of course." She looked up at him and placed her hands on either side of his face and pressed her lips to his and kissed him deeply. She sighed as she opened her mouth invitation and Daryl didn't waste any time in running the tip of his tongue over hers, while simultaneously fisting his hands lightly in the back of her hair, his knuckles brushing over his leather jacket that her hair was resting against. She looked so damn sexy in his jacket he thought he might just like to fuck her with that on and nothing else. "I just have one condition." She flashed him a sweet smile.

He eyed her warily and then noticed the gleam in her eyes. Oh yeah, she was up to something. "Anything." He answered easily. He figured if she wanted him to walk over hot coals, he'd take off his boots to do it.

She grinned at him wickedly before saying "I get to pick how you are going to make it up to me". She laughed at his expression. "Oh don't worry, you'll like it, I promise". She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and he pulled her onto the bed on top of him, pulling back to look at her.

As she dipped her head in for another kiss, he knew he was in big trouble and he didn't give a damn. He had a feeling she was right. He was going to enjoy every minute of whatever she had planned.

**Okay guys, this was another of those chapters that just basically wrote itself. The ideas got in my head today and would not shut up until I got them out. My AU that I have begun is the same way. My head is spinning today from all the ideas I have had running through my head. Ah the life of a fan fiction writer. I am very nervous about the AU. It is unlike anything that I have ever written. I hope you will give it a shot once I get the first chapter up tomorrow. I had intended to get it up today, but I had too much stuff going on. I have started it though. If you want the update notification for the new story, be sure to follow me as an author and not just Accepting Love as a story so you get the alert in your email. Okay, so let me know if you liked this chapter or not. If you hated it. I am still catching up on individual replies on reviews so they are coming, I promise. Love you all so much! You're the best readers an author could ever hope for. Until next time, xoxoxoxoxo. **


	48. Chapter 48

**This chapter is begging to be written and I am sure that a lot of you have been expecting this and even predicted it in your ever kind reviews. Thank you so much! This chapter is definitely rated M for smut and when I say smut, I mean smut. Consider yourselves warned. Hahaha **

Chapter 48

Daryl watched Beth as she pulled herself away from him and got up and crossed the room to the small dresser. She reached in the back of the bottom drawer and pulled out three long strips of white cloth. He got sidetracked in staring at her ass as it curved when she bent over. He stared at her confused as she held up the cloth in one hand and looked at him, her bright crystal blue eyes boring into his "I trust you Daryl." She told him.

He blinked a couple of times and then it dawned on him what she meant. "You trust me? Just what is it exactly that you are wanting us to do?" He thought he knew but he needed to hear it from her lips which at the moment were glistening as she had them parted waiting for his reply. He could read the desire in her eyes and he would bet his ass that she was wet for him already. He could feel himself get hard and he shifted on the bed, his pants suddenly seeming way too tight.

Beth had sifted through all their stuff a couple of days ago and had an idea had formed in her head and just wouldn't let go. She had cut one of Daryl's old threadbare t-shirts carefully into long strips fashioning a blind fold and two ties, just long enough for what she had in mind, she thought. Just showing Daryl what she had done and watching the recognition register on his face had her pulse ebbing and gathering between her thighs. She clenched her legs a little tighter and could feel herself getting wet.

She walked over to Daryl and placed the strips of cloth in his lap. "One is for a blindfold and the other two are for my wrists".

Daryl's mouth suddenly went dry and he swallowed hard. He didn't think it was possible but his dick got even harder. "You want me to tie you up?" He asked her gruffly and she nodded at him coming even closer and kneeling on the floor in front of him. His voice was suddenly hoarse with the thought of it. He had never been into kinky shit and never tried it. Before Beth, there had just been those women and most of the time he hadn't ever even thought it was worth his time to get all the way undressed for. He usually fucked them with his pants gathered down around his ankles and his boots still on. Kinky shit required trust and until now, Daryl hadn't ever trusted anybody. But doing this with Beth appealed to him in every way. Suddenly his skin felt too tight for his body and he ached to touch her. He reached out his hands and laced his fingers through hers, both of them leaving the strips lying between them.

"You absolutely sure about this?" He asked her, searching her eyes for any trace of doubt or fear. But all he saw was a fire that seemed to reach into his very soul.

He could feel his dick throbbing in his pants and he knew he was going to have to reign it in for what she wanted from him. And let's face it, thought Daryl, when had he ever been able to refuse anything she asked of him. But he had to be sure that this was really what she wanted. This was new for him and he was willing to experiment but he thought they needed to be clear about what both of them wanted. He didn't want them to get half way through it and somebody change their mind and regret it later. It was shit like this that could fuck things up. And Daryl had just gotten her to forgive him for being an ass. He wasn't willing to chance that again, especially this.

"We can have a safe word". Beth said smartly. "Somethin' we both decide on if we don't like what's happening so we can stop." She looked at Daryl and saw that he was trying to hold himself back. She had been wanting to try this for awhile but didn't know how to ask him. Now that the opportunity had finally presented itself, Beth could feel butterflies fluttering around in her stomach like they had just torn themselves from their cocoon and were ready to explore. She raised a hand to brush his hair back from his eyes and leaned in to kiss him tenderly. Her eyes slid closed as she savored the feel of his lips on hers. She pulled back to look at him.

"What should our word be, do ya think? I been tryin' to think of something but can't come up with anythin'." And it was true too.

"How about "moonshine" asked Daryl.

Beth looked at him quizzically. He just shook his head and they both laughed. "I don't know, it just popped into my head".

Beth nodded, "Moonshine it is". And just like that, it was decided and there was no more talking.

Beth stood up and so did Daryl. He undressed her slowly, taking off first the sweater that she liked so much. Daryl didn't know why, her shoulders were too narrow and the thing was always falling off one shoulder or the other. Not that he was complaining, her shoulders were something to be revered. Everything about her was something to be worshipped. Next he put her arms over her head so he could remove her tank top and then he unclasped her bra and put her arms back down, letting the straps fall down over her shoulders until it fell to the floor.

Beth shivered a little under his warm gaze and she could tell he was using a tremendous amount of restraint to keep himself from touching her just yet. He then reached for the waistband of her jeans and unbuttoned and unzipped them and pulled them down over her legs and she helped by kicking herself free of them. That just left her black lace panties, the ones she knew he liked. It was by sheer coincidence that she had them on today but she was glad she had taken the extra time to wash her delicates yesterday as he unconsciously ran his tongue over his lips as he looked upon her and hooking one thumb in each string of the panties and pulling them down over her hips and letting his gaze linger just a little longer at the apex of her thighs. Now it was Beth's turn to swallow hard as a breathy moan escaped her. She reached out to start undressing him and he shook his head at her and stepped back a bit.

"Nah Princess. You put me in control, remember. I am runnin this show" He told her matter of fact and as he said the words, she thought she might die if he didn't touch her soon. But this was why she had wanted to do this. To see how far she could push herself with him.

He took off his leather vest and laid it on the chair beside the bed. Then he removed his shirt in one movement and quickly shucked his jeans and left on his boxers. Beth couldn't help but notice the evidence of his arousal which was riding up out of the top of his boxers.

He pushed her gently back onto the bed. "Get yourself up at the top of the bed" He instructed her.

She flashed him a quick smile and jumped up on the bed and sat right in the middle, her breasts bouncing lightly as she situated herself. She wasn't more than a handful either one of them, but they were pert with pink nipples and just enough to make a mouthful and then some.

"Now stretch your arms out at your sides so I can tie them up."

A thrill surged through Beth at his words. Every bit of blood in her body seemed to gather at that one spot where her thighs met. She was throbbing with need and she ached for him to touch her. She eagerly stretched her arms out on either side so he could tie her wrists to the bedposts.

Daryl bent over her on one side and then the other, carefully tying her wrists with the soft worn cloth, making a simple slip knot on each side. He could easily release her but she couldn't pull herself free, exactly the right call to make. Daryl licked his lips again. He couldn't wait to get her tied up so he could do whatever he wanted to her. And he knew exactly where he was going to start, he thought wickedly.

After he finished tying up her arms she looked up at him with those baby blues and flashed him the sweetest smile. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and asked her one more time. "Are you sure about this, Beth?"

She nodded eagerly and whispered "yes, please."

He nodded in agreement and placed the other cloth which was slightly wider over her eyes and she leaned forward so he could tie it behind her head careful not to entangle any of her hair in the simple knot. Then he gently pushed her back onto the bed and moved down over her so he could arrange her legs like he wanted them. "Now listen. You have to keep your legs very still. Don't move them or I'll tie them up too." He said watching carefully for her response. This was new to him but he found to his surprise that it kind of came naturally and he didn't know whether to be afraid of his thoughts or turned on. He thought maybe it was a little of both.

She grinned wildly, her lips glistening in the dim light of the lantern in their room. He reached down and whispered gruffly, "open your legs for me Princess" and waited for the moan he knew that would elicit and he wasn't disappointed. He knew that got her every time. She opened her legs prettily and he had to swallow hard again to control himself and tried to steady his breathing as he looked upon her, so completely trusting of him, lying there laid out for him to devour. He whispered to her "Listen to the sound of my voice and get adjusted to where I am and what I am doing."

Daryl had been tracking all his life and he was a firm believer that in order to be a good hunter, you had to understand and know your prey. In a weird and desperately sensual way, Daryl knew that this was pretty similar. He wanted Beth to feel like the prey but he also wanted her to feel safe. Knowing where your predator was helped you understand what was happening. The only difference was his prey wasn't going anywhere and unless he missed his mark, her moans told him that she was there to stay and be devoured and he couldn't fucking wait.

Beth nodded and moaned softly. "Please Daryl". She begged him.

He smiled at that. "Nah, remember, I am in charge. Now what are you beggin' me for. You know I am getting ready to do all kinds of things to you." It came out half spoken, half growled. All kinds of dirty things, he thought. Not able to hold himself back a moment longer, he positioned himself over her and started at her neck and he could feel her breathing hard and felt her warm breath against his hair as he spread slow kisses over her neck, taking extra time to dip his tongue into that hollow of soft skin at her throat where he could feel her pulse beneath his tongue. He moved down over her body, closing his mouth over one nipple and then the other, sucking lightly and pulling soft sighs and moans from her lips. She whispered his name again and again. "Daryl." And he loved the sound of his name on her lips.

Beth's senses were tingling and her skin felt like it was on fire and chilled at the same time. Her flesh was raised all over with chills. She said his name on an undertone. It was like a whispered prayer for redemption, for punishment, she wasn't sure which. She felt him moving lower and lower and it was agonizingly slow. She could feel his lips moving over her and where his fingers didn't explore, his tongue more than made up for. He went lower and lower until she could feel him spreading kisses on the insides of her thighs and then felt his teeth closing down in a little nip on the inside of her right thigh. She gasped as he touched her, spreading her open to make room for his tongue. Without warning he thrust his stiffened tongue inside her pussy and pumped it in and out for a few seconds and then pulled it out and licked all the way up her wet slit to her clit.

Daryl tasted Beth and pushed a finger inside her as he licked his way up her wet slit. She tasted so damn good and his cock was throbbing in his boxers and spilling out the top and it was all he could do to not yank his shorts off and thrust himself deep inside her.

"So fucking wet for me Princess" he murmured against her, vibrating from the deep bass of his voice. Her breath was coming in gasps and she knew she wasn't going to last much longer. She moved her wrists and was momentarily frustrated that she couldn't move and hold his head where she wanted it but it made what he was doing with his tongue all the more exquisite.

Daryl found that hardened nub and licked around it and while he was sucking gently and humming against it he could feel Beth trying hard not to wrap her legs around his neck. He silently commended her for her restraint. He licked and sucked at her clit, moving his tongue in rapid-fire circles in a punishing staccato rhythm that he knew would drive her right over the edge. "Come for me Princess" He hummed against her again and he felt her tense up and he smiled against her pussy as he continued licking her orgasm from her. He continued to punish her with his mouth and he knew she was close.

Beth could feel him sucking on her clit and each time he spoke the vibration from his voice nearly sent her spiraling down. She wanted to scream, she thought she might break into a million pieces. When he started sucking on her clit again and licking at the same time, he thrust a finger inside her again. Her hands being tied, it meant she had nothing to hold onto and she felt like she might shatter inside from the want of it. Then she was coming, with a combination of wet vibration from his tongue and lips she could feel the waves of pleasure washing down over her, searing vibration of exquisite deliciousness spread down over her body, making every muscle clench and quiver until she was spent. She felt Daryl pull his mouth from her and all the warmth left her body at once and she shivered a little, listening for his movements. She could hear clothing hit the floor and then the dip of the mattress as he got back onto the bed.

Daryl couldn't wait any longer. He pulled himself off of her and pushed his boxers off, letting them fall quickly to the floor, his cock springing free of the restricting garment. He positioned himself over Beth and entered her with one thrust as he heard her gasp and felt her breath on his neck. She felt so damn good. "So wet and tight Princess". He murmured against her neck. He knew he couldn't do it to her again, leaving her with nothing to hold onto. He reached up and released her wrists with one yank on each strip of cloth. Then he shoved the blindfold off of her and he met her eyes for the first time since starting this sexy encounter.

Beth almost wept with relief when he released her arms. She had absolutely loved every minute of it but it was actually as if he had read her mind. When her orgasm had spilled from her body, she had the need to hold him close so wouldn't get lost in the waves of pleasure. As soon as her wrists were free she wound her arms around his neck and when the blindfold was freed, she opened her eyes to look at him. He was looking down on her, his expression wild and tender at the same time.

Looking down at Beth, her cheeks flush and knowing he had put that blush there awakened a side of Daryl that he hadn't known existed. He felt possessive and animal and gentle all at the same time. It was a heady mixture and he gave himself over to the feeling, pulling her tightly into his arms, completely enveloping her and he had both of his hands splayed over her back, holding her against him as he pumped his cock deep inside her. She was meeting his hips, thrust for thrust. "Ain't gonna last long, sweetheart". He panted.

"S' okay. Come for me baby" She whispered. That was his undoing as he felt his balls draw up slightly and he hardened even more momentarily and white hot lightning bolts of pleasure shot down his spine and he felt it coming in waves and he spilled himself deep inside her, everything else be damned. It felt so good inside her, like satin against satin, the friction milking the rest of his orgasm from him until he collapsed on top of her.

He pulled himself off her to look into her eyes. "Did I make up for it?" He had to know.

She laughed her eyes dancing pools of light in the soft lighting of the lantern and the afterglow of their passion. "Oh yeah, you definitely made up for it. But now we are gonna have to find an excuse to do that again". She said looking up at him and they both laughed. She knew she had never loved him more than in that moment. And so she said it. "I love you Daryl Dixon."

He looked at her and smiled his signature half smile half smirk. "I love you too Mrs. Dixon".

**Okay guys, I warned you. What did you think? Too much? Over the top? Not enough? This idea got in my head, it was all Beth's idea I swear and would not let go. I couldn't even write anything on my new Bethyl AU "Vanilla Fields" until this chapter was out. Haha They demanded that they get make up sex and there you have it. You guys are so awesome. I can't believe how kind you are with your reviews and how much you enjoy the stories I am writing. I have gotten a pretty good response on Vanilla Fields so I will continue to write for now and see where it goes. Hopefully it turns out okay. I have several ideas and a few twists planned. And for this one too for that matter. ;) So leave me love on your way out. Until next time, xoxoxoxo **


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Daryl left Beth still sleeping. He had to go hunting this morning, they were running out of meat and it was getting colder. He had thought with any luck he would be able to catch a couple of wild turkeys or maybe a deer. He was pleased to see that he wasn't wrong. He was bringing back three turkeys and he didn't much care how they fixed em up, his mouth was already watering thinking about it.

It was November which in the old world, meant that Thanksgiving was coming soon. However, no one really knew when it was supposed to be. The cadence of the days before the world had gone to shit had obviously not carried over into their new world. It was impossible to remember birthdays, Thanksgiving and what not. Everyone knew when 4th of July was, they'd had a few already, but since nobody was feeling independent these days, it went unnoticed.

There had been talk already among some of the members of their base camp that they might do something for Christmas this year. Daryl had never bought into the holiday scene; his family life had just not allowed for it. He remembered in school all the parents coming to the holiday parties to be with their kids. No one had ever come for Daryl. It had bothered him at first but then he just got used to it. His teachers never did though. They always felt sorry for him and sat with him during the parties. They knew he had a hard life. Social services had been to their house more than once. He and Merle would get put in with foster families and their dad would go through some kind of bullshit program to get sober, but every single time, his old man managed to sweet talk them into letting him keep him and Merle. God only knew why they listened to a mean bastard with the stench of vodka dripping off each word he uttered.

Didn't matter none anyway now, he told himself as he hoisted the turkeys up over his shoulder. He was almost back to base when he came across a couple of walkers. He dispensed of them quickly. Wouldn't have had to take em down at all, just skirt around 'em and keep on going but he couldn't have them trying to get to the turkeys. He had been out since before the sun was up and now that it was high in the sky, he figured it was about lunch time.

Daryl got back to the base and Sergeant Ford opened the gates for him. "Well lookie here, you got us some birds I see, son". Daryl grunted at him. He was sure the guy was nice enough but he was a little bit too exuberant for Daryl's taste.

"Yeah hoping Ginny can get 'em cooked up for supper tomorrow. Figure there's not enough room to roast three turkeys in that old wood stove we found." Daryl mused.

"Yeah Ginny will come up with something. Good work Daryl." Abraham clapped him on the back as he walked by and then closed the gate behind him.

Daryl walked straight for the mess hall to turn the turkeys over to Ginny. He had already plucked the feathers before he brought em back. Figured they didn't need all those feathers all over base. Ginny was their resident cook. She prepared all their meals. She had been a school lunch lady before the turn, so she knew how to cook for a bunch of people at one time. She was good at it too; she could take the simplest things and pair them together and make something edible and delicious out of it. Daryl swore she could turn water into wine if she put her mind to it.

He was surprised to see Beth still sitting at the table with a very fussy Lil Ass Kicker. It was unlike the little girl to be fussy. He walked over and kissed both girls on the top of the head after he gave his catch to Ginny who was clearly delighted.

"Hey stranger, you left early this morning." Beth murmured while still rocking Judy.

"Yeah wanted to get us some meat. Winter seems like it's here now." It was even a little chilly in the mess hall. Daryl rubbed his hands together to get them warm and sat down beside Beth.

"Want me to take her?" Daryl asked. He smoothed his hand down over his vest making certain he didn't have any walker guts on him.

Beth sighed. "Sure maybe she'll settle for you. I've been trying to get her calmed down for an hour now. She just keeps fussing and pulling at her ear. I think she might have an ear infection. I don't know what to do." Daryl took Lil Ass Kicker from Beth's arms and cradled her against his shoulder. She laid her head down against Daryl's shoulder, her tiny little sniffles echoing through the empty mess hall. She seemed to calm a little bit.

Beth smiled. "Maybe she just needed her uncle Daryl" Beth remarked.

Daryl snorted. "I doubt it." He said.

Beth laughed. This beautiful man of hers would never admit it but she knew he had a soft spot the size of Texas for Judith.

Daryl looked from the top of Judith's head over to Beth. "You look tired, Princess." He whispered. To Daryl's wonderment, the little girl was finally settling down and her eyes were drifting closed with each slow easy breath.

"I am. She has been a handful this morning. " She reached up to smooth her hair back from her face, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

"Wanna go lie down for a bit. We didn't get much sleep last night". He reminded her with a wink.

Beth smiled and blushed a little remembering all the things they had done last night. Her shoulder muscles were a little bit sore from being tied up for that little while. It was a good kind of pain though. Every time she played last night over in her mind, she felt the butterflies again and it made her wet just thinking about what Daryl could do with his tongue. God that man was skilled in that department, she thought.

"No we didn't" she agreed. "You tired?" Beth asked him.

"Hell nah. Even if I was, it was worth it." He actually grinned at her. It looked good on him. If this was how he was after a night like last night, they were going to have to experiment all the time.

Beth laughed. "Yes it was worth it. Next time I get to tie you up right." She eyed him warily. She didn't know if he would go for it or not. She hadn't been sure he would go for tying her up.

"One thing at a time Princess" he said thoughtfully as he leaned into her and kissed her tenderly on the lips. God, he loved this woman. He never knew that love could feel like this. Maybe those damn romance novels had it right, he mused.

Well it wasn't a no, thought Beth. She didn't really care one way or the other. She didn't care if they never did it again, it had been fun to try and they had both enjoyed it. That was enough for her.

"You want to give her to me or you wanna carry her. We need to lie her down in her crib in Rick's room. Carol is supposed to take over the rest of the afternoon. I'm going to help with laundry. " She stood up and stretched out. Judith was getting so big that carrying her was like a work out. "What do you have going on today? I thought we might be able to get started on training again. "

Daryl stood up, careful not to jostle Lil Ass Kicker too much. "Gonna finish fixing that generator, that's about it. You wanna meet there a couple hours before supper?" He asked as they walked to Rick's quad.

"Sounds good" . They reached Rick's room and found Carol waiting in the common area.

"Hey" Beth whispered as Daryl carried Judith to Rick's room.

"Hey yourself," said Carol. It was good to see those two together finally. In her opinion, they had danced around each other for too long. She had seen the first signs of it at the prison. It had seemed a little odd at first but the more she thought about the two of them together, the more it made sense. Carol wasn't going to lie, at one time, she had thought she and Daryl would hook up. Then they had become such good friends and then so much happened that it wasn't possible. After that Daryl had seemed more like a brother than anything else. Now the idea of her and Daryl seemed funny to her. It would have never worked, she smiled to herself. "How was your morning?"

"Ah she was a little fussy. But Daryl got her calmed down and asleep. I've been trying to do that for an hour and he comes in and suddenly the sandman makes a visit." Beth shook her head and smiled in the direction of Rick's room.

"He really is good with her" Carol remarked. He had been that little girl's champion since the day she was born. "She fussy?"

"Yeah, she was like that this morning. I hope she is just cutting teeth. She was pulling on her left ear this morning." Beth commented.

Carol frowned. "Hope she's not getting sick. A couple of the new people are sick with some kind of flu. Lucy, Summer's mom, she has it. Jason has it too. Then Rosita came down with it this morning."

Beth looked at Carol thoughtfully. "You know when they got here and Lucy was coughing so much, I had thought at the time that she had gotten bit at first. Didn't even think about something like the flu. Guess we've been lucky so far. " Beth remarked.

Daryl had come back out of the room. "Flu? Don't suppose anybody got their flu shot this year huh?" He joked and they all laughed.

Turning serious, Carol spoke again. "We're gonna have to be careful to keep Judith away from anyone who's been exposed. They got Rosita, Jason and Lucy quarantined in an empty quad across base. Doc is taking care of 'em". Doc Fisher was one of the original people at the camp. They were really lucky to have him. He had been in his fourth year as a medical student when the epidemic hit. He was young but thorough and very knowledgeable.

Daryl and Beth nodded. "Well I gotta get back to fixin' that generator if we hope to have any heat tonight. It's getting colder out there." Daryl excused himself and leaned over to press a quick kiss to Beth's lips.

"See ya later." He winked at her and waved to Carol and then he was out the door.

Beth and Carol watched him walk out the door. It was an awkward silence for a bit. Beth finally spoke up. "Ya know, I wanted to tell you. I know you and Daryl have always been kind of close." Beth began, not sure how to word what she wanted to say. She knew Carol and Daryl had been close before the prison fell. She didn't know what had happened since then but she figured it was a good time now to clear the air. "Everything with me and Daryl. It just happened. " Beth gestured with her hands with outstretched palms. She knew it didn't explain everything but she wanted the other woman to know that she didn't discount their relationship.

Carol just smiled and shook her head. "Oh sweetie, it's so great of you to say that, but me and Daryl, we're just friends. We have only ever been just friends. I consider him a brother."

Beth visibly relaxed. "That's what I thought too, but I wanted to make sure."

"Can I ask you something? You can tell me to mind my own business if ya want." Carol looked at Beth sideways, gauging her reaction.

"Sure" Beth smiled sweetly at her.

"How'd it happen? Was it just because you guys got out together." Carol asked her hoping like hell she hadn't made the girl uncomfortable.

Beth looked at Carol surprised. She hadn't expected that. Beth sighed softly remembering the first time Daryl had kissed her and how she was surprised. All their little moments, that awful argument, their first time. She finally answered. "It was magic. I know that sounds incredibly stupid." She looked at Carol expecting her to scoff.

"No, it doesn't sound stupid at all. Love should feel like magic. If ya don't feel magic, it's not love." Carol said thoughtfully and reached out to squeeze Beth's hand. "I'm so happy for both of you".

Beth smiled. "Thank you. We really are. We're happy." Beth suddenly felt horrible for not asking how Carol was, especially after all she had been through. Losing Lizzie had to have felt like losing Sophia all over again. "How are you, Carol?"

"I'm fine." Carol replied and smiled softly.

"No, you're not fine. If you were fine, I would worry about you." Beth said wisely, looking straight at Carol like she could see right into her very heart.

"It's hard, but I'll get through it. I still have Mika; she keeps me going. That girl could like up the darkest day with her goodness." Carol looked up at Beth who was watching her carefully.

"She is a sweet little girl. She's about got French braiding down pat." Beth had been teaching her how to French braid for weeks. She was left handed so it made it a little more difficult.

Carol reached up and ran a hand through her short and sassy do. "Too bad she can't practice on me."

They both laughed at that. "Well I better get to seeing what I can do to help with the laundry." Beth moved to walk out the door.

"Beth?" Carol called. Beth turned to her. "Thanks for the talk. It helps." Beth smiled brightly and walked out the door. It felt good to be with their family again and it felt good being able to help somebody. This was one of the things that Beth had missed most about the prison, the sense of community, the way everyone helped each other out. Beth was worried about everyone getting that flu going around. Hopefully it would stay within the confines of the quarantine quad. An influenza outbreak was the last thing they needed.

* * *

Daryl wiped the sweat from his brow with his bandana. He was almost done with the generator and screwed in the final bolt, hoping like hell it was going to start. They really needed heat especially the people who had the flu. He got up from his crouched position and pulled the rope to start the mower; Nothing. He swore and cranked it again. He fought the urge to throw his wrench at the thing and tried it one more time finally hearing the motor roar to life. "Hot damn" he exclaimed. Daryl always felt good when he could get something working that looked like it didn't have a breath of life left in it. He put all his tools away and cleaned up the area around the generator, stopping twice to wipe his brow. He didn't know why the hell he was sweating so much today, especially with how cold it was out. He could see his breath in the air as he finished up cleaning and headed to the weight room where Beth should be waiting on him by now.

He arrived to find her lifting free weights and she was doing it all wrong. But damn if she didn't make a sight, her hip jutted out on one side. She was wearing a pair of black sweat pants and one of those tank shirt things she liked so much but he wasn't complaining. She could probably wear a potato sack and still be sexy, thought Daryl. She hadn't seen him come in so he watched her for a few minutes while she lifted the weights up and down and singing what sounded suspiciously like "It's Tricky". He laughed a little and that alerted her to his presence and she turned, a look of surprise on her features.

"You're early." She put the weights down and threw herself into his arms. It wasn't often they got to greet each other properly. But the weight room was blessedly empty. What was more, she found a library in behind it and it was filled with rows and rows of bookshelves filled overflowing with books. Beth thought she might have died and gone to book heaven.

Daryl dropped his cross bow just as Beth reached him. He stumbled back a bit under her enthusiastic embrace and laughed, putting his arms around her waist and crushing her to him, pressing his lips to her neck and nuzzling her. She giggled in response but pulled back, running her hand up to his forehead. "You're hot baby". She said to him, looking worried.

"I know I am. Hot for you." He coughed a little as he laughed while he went back to nuzzling her. He was feeling kind of warm all the sudden.

Beth giggled. Surely he knew he was running a fever, thought Beth. But it was just like a man to deny anything that made them appear weak, especially this one. She felt his forehead again and peered into his eyes, their normal blue appearing very glassy and they were bloodshot as well. "No silly. You have a fever." All the sudden Beth put the two together and she felt dread fill her. "Daryl I think you might have that flu the others have." Beth looked up at him. He looked like he was about to fall over. She knew she should have checked on him a couple hours ago.

"'M fine, Princess. I'm just tired." He insisted.

"Still, will you go with me to see Doc Fisher so he can look ya over." Beth looked up at him, getting more worried by the minute.

"Don't need no doctor" He grunted. "Just need sleep."

Beth was getting agitated. She stood back and planted her hands on her hips. "Daryl Dixon, you are going to see the doctor whether you like it or not. Either we go see him now or I'll have him come by our room later. Take your pick".

She emphasized the last three words and the way she had her arms crossed over her chest, it left Daryl with the feeling that him seeing the doctor wasn't to be negotiated. He sighed. He guessed it couldn't hurt as long as it was gonna make Beth happy and get off his case about it. "Fine we can go see him now. But I ain't sick. And he ain't gonna make me take my clothes off either. Don't need no fucker asking questions he ain't got no business asking."

Beth knew his words didn't have bite but she assured him that he wouldn't have to, knowing what he was talking about. He didn't want anyone to see his scars. She opened the door to the weight room. Her training was going to have to wait another day, thought Beth. She turned around to see he hadn't moved from the spot he was in. "Well, come on" she said. "We ain't got all day." She mimicked one of his favorite lines and that coaxed a small smile out of him.

"Smartass". He smirked at her and playfully swatted her ass, earning a peal of laughter.

"Takes one to know one". She replied sassily. This man drove her crazy sometimes, crazy. But she wouldn't have it any other way. She just hoped she was wrong about the flu.

**Okay guys, there it is. Chapter 49. Can't believe it's almost Chapter 50. I know where this story is going about seven chapters from now on and that's about it. It might be getting ready to be finished I don't know. We shall see. But if it is, don't worry. I already have a great idea for another story plus another kickass idea for an AU so there's plenty of stuff I can write between now and October. It's been a whole month you guys! Only six left to go. We can do this! Please leave love on your way out. until next time, xoxoxoxo. **


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50

**Sorry for the delay in this chapter all my lovely readers. I got bit by a very nasty stomach bug and it has put me down for the past day or so. I fully intended to update even this morning but since it was hard to sit upright for more than five minutes, I waited until this evening. Still a little shaky but all these ideas just want to be put to paper. So here I am a slave to my muse…again. But I don't mind, because I just got to re-read my chapter objectively and it made me refocus and figure out where we need to go from here. So without further adieu: **

Beth wiped at Daryl's brow, attempting to cool him off. His fever had been high for going on twenty four hours and she was worried. She wished she had some ice or something cooler than the tepid water she was soaking the cloth in every few minutes. The problem was that his body heat was heating the cloth up faster than she could get the clot cool again. She bit her lower lip in concentration. They were going to need some kind of fever reducer if they ever hoped to get his fever down. She almost cried every time she thought about how Jason died. His fever had spiked and stayed that way for two days. He had finally went into seizures and died. She had been there when it happened and while she didn't like the guy, it was a horrible way to go. And knowing that Jason had died from this made her so scared for Daryl. She didn't even know what she would do without him. She couldn't live without him. She sent up another plea to God, hoping he was listening because she just knew that if Daryl died on this bed before her, well she couldn't even think that way. She turned her head as someone opened the door to the quarantine room. Carol and Rick came with Jenna and Tyreese behind them.

"Hey" she said softly. She didn't think Daryl would wake up, but she didn't want to risk it.

"We needed to talk to you for a minute." Carol motioned to the common room. Beth nodded wordlessly and got up from her post.

"A couple of us are going out for medical supplies. We need antibiotics. Doc just told us what he found last night." Rick looked down and then back up at Beth, meeting her eyes.

Beth frowned. She was hoping that Doc Fisher would keep Daryl's suspected pneumonia a secret. "It's too dangerous. You could all die." Beth whispered. A light snow the middle of last night had turned into an ice storm the likes of Georgia had never seen. They had four wheel drive but any southerner knew that it didn't mean a thing in ice. With the combined drop in temperature and their very precarious situation with walkers wandering about, it was a very risky thing to risk a run in the middle of an ice storm in a zombie apocalypse.

"We know. But he'd do it for us". Carol spoke up. Beth just grabbed Carol's hand and squeezed it and then she broke down. "I can't lose him Carol." She sobbed and Carol drew her into her arms.

"We'll be back before nightfall." Rick spoke from behind Carol.

Beth pulled away from Carol wiping her tears on the back of her sweater. "Be careful please. " She waved as they walked out the door and trudged back into the room where Daryl had been for the past 9 days. It had hit him fast the night they had gone to see Doc the first time. Beth had been scared at the time but nothing compared to what she was now. Lucy had recovered and then Summer had gotten it, but even she seemed to be on the mend. Fortunately due to the quarantine no one else had come down with it. She had been so worried that Judith was coming down with it too, but for all her fussiness the day that Daryl had gotten sick, she was just fine now. Beth couldn't figure why she hadn't gotten either. She had always gotten sick as a kid; maybe she got it out of her system then.

She wet the cloth again and went back to trying to cool down his fever. He was restless again. The fever made him that way. He tossed and turned and mumbled in his sleep, often whispering her name. It reminded her of that first night after the prison when she had heard him whispering her name. She found herself reliving all of the moments that they had shared before finally settling on being together. Her whole life was wrapped up in this man. She stared down at his sleeping form and it was hard to reconcile that he was so sick. Strong, broad-shouldered, could-take-anything-the-world-threw-at-him Daryl freaking Dixon. It just didn't make any damn sense, she thought. She moved to lay beside him. She knew the likelihood of the flu still being in his system was slight and she didn't care. She just needed to be next to him. She was careful not to touch him. He definitely didn't need her body heat on top of his. But just being near him was what she needed right now and somehow she figured she was what he needed too.

* * *

Rick, Carol, Tyreese and Jenna stepped out of the SUV outside the nursing home that Abraham had told them about. He had given them rough directions but they had found it. His great aunt had been there before the turn. Sadly the older people didn't last long after the epidemic had spread. It showed on Abrahams normally jovial face and had made Rick give thanks that his parents and grandparents had all passed before the turn. He had been upset when they had all died, but the only thing that was worse than dying and leaving your family behind was dying at the hand of walkers, he mused.

Rick motioned for Tyreese, Carol and Jenna to go ahead of him. He looked after Jenna's retreating form and wondered again why she was giving him the cold shoulder. He really had thought they had a good thing going. She was starting to let down all those damn walls that she had built up. She had made friends with Carl. She didn't try to be his mom, just was being his friend and the kid had really taken to her. But the thing that stole Rick's heart was how he was with Judy. She was patient and gentle and Judy loved her to pieces. Then suddenly, boom, out of nowhere walls were back up and Jenna just shut down on him.

He shook his head to clear his mind of thoughts of the maddening woman walking ahead of him. He had to keep his head in the game if they were going to make it out of this alive.

The roads had been absolutely treacherous on the way here. They had gotten turned around more than once and had gotten stuck. Tyreese and Rick had to push the vehicle from the side of the road where it had slid. The only good thing about the damn ice was that it slowed the walkers down considerably. They had been decaying for so long now that it evidently made their bones brittle and once they fell down in the ice they couldn't get back up again. Made it easier to side-step them.

They walked into the nursing home and upon entering they could already hear the death moans from walkers. They all knew what to do; just went in and did their thing, taking out walkers left and right until all was silent.

Rick bent over to catch his breath and wiped off his knife on the carpet. These walkers were completely unaffected from the ice storm still blowing outside. He guessed they had been locked up in here since the turn and they were hungry just like all the other ones they'd encountered. Nothing like a little walker brawl to get your day started, Rick thought sardonically.

They searched all the rooms until they found what they were looking for. The pharmacy of the place was completely intact and they were very glad they had the fortune of being the first to hit this place. They quickly filled all their bags and carried what else they could to the SUV.

"We should come back after the ice clears and get the rest of what we can't get today. We were lucky to find this." Rick stated. They had made out like bandits gathering up every antibiotic Doc Fisher had written down, a whole slew of pain medicine, and every other supply imaginable. In some ways, this was even better than a food run. They all hurried to get in the car and make the drive back. Rick prayed to a God he wasn't sure was up there anymore that they made it back safely. Daryl's very life depended on it.

**Sorry guys, I know it isn't much and I left you with a cliffhanger. I blame it on my stupid virus. I will hopefully feel better tomorrow. Thank you , thank you, thank you for reading and please leave some love on the way out. Until next time, xoxoxoxoxo**

**PS – This is chapter 50! And I have so many new followers, my heart lept with joy when** I logged in this morning.


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Beth awoke with a start and her first thought was that it was way too hot in the room which didn't make sense. It was cold outside and even with the kerosene heaters they had been using, it barely knocked the chill out of the air. Beth pushed the blankets back and realized that it was still cold in the room; it was Daryl that was burning up. She felt his forehead and the panic that seized her heart almost made her stop breathing. His fever had risen since she had lain beside him.

Suddenly she had an idea and she could not believe that they hadn't thought of it before. They needed ice. Beth almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation. Because last time she checked, ice was piling up outside by the hour. She got up from the bed and hurriedly put her shoes on and grabbed a towel off the bedside table. A bowl would be better but this would have to do.

She walked outside and was relieved to see that it was still snowing and icing. The entire base was blanketed in the powdery white stuff. She set about collecting a few chunks of the snow and ice mixture on the ground.

She walked back inside and found Daryl was on the bed, his body jerking in every direction and Beth yelled for Doc Fisher. She knew he was asleep in the next room. He had already contracted the flu earlier and was mostly recovered. He came running out of the room, pajamas all askew and glasses crooked on his face.

Doc rolled Daryl over onto his side and looked back to Beth who was still holding the dripping mess in her hands. He motioned for her to come over. Beth was terrified, almost glued to the spot, tears streaming down her face.

"I need you to focus Beth". Doc said as he packed the ice around Daryl on the bed. Beth had the fleeting thought that it was going to get the sheets wet. She would later realize how irrational the brain is during a crisis.

Beth looked up at him. "Okay" She said, determining that she would do anything he asked of her. Daryl just had to be okay.

"I need you to go find help. Go get as much of the ice and snow as you can. You did good. This will bring his fever down." He finished giving his orders with a polite nod and turned back to Daryl who had finally stopped seizing and was now breathing evenly. "The seizure stopped. Could be that it's already working".

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak and turned from the room. She chanted the old mantra in her head as she ran as fast as she could in the snow and ice to get help for Daryl. "We all have jobs to do. We don't get to be upset." It had gotten her through many a situation and it would get her through this too.

In a short amount of time she had gathered Maggie, Glenn, Lucy, and Carl to help her collect enough snow and ice. They were the only ones that she could find that had already had the flu. They all scooped it up as quickly as they could, taking it all to Dr. Fisher. It melted quickly since Daryl was so hot, but after about fifteen minutes, Doc told them it should be enough. Daryl's seizures had stopped and the danger seemed to have passed. Until Doc got up abruptly from the chair beside the bed and held his stethoscope to Daryl's chest, a worried expression crossing his face. He had just been checking Daryl's pulse.

He threw the stethoscope to the ground, cursing. "He's not breathing".

At that moment, it felt as if Beth's heart literally stopped beating. As if Daryl's had stopped then hers should too. She began crying again as Doc started CPR.

Just then Carol and Tyreese came through the door, carrying all their arms could hold. When they saw what was happening they yelled to Rick out the door. "Bring it!"

Beth didn't even have time to register what it was they were bringing before Rick came in the door, toting some kind of device.

The next few moments passed in a blur and seemed to take hours or minutes; whichever it was, Beth wasn't sure. Doc turned and saw that it was a defibrillator that Rick was holding. He motioned for Rick to come over and carry on CPR while he set the machine up.

Beth had never felt so helpless in her entire life. She stared down at Daryl's seemingly lifeless body and it was like watching her life slip away before her eyes. Every dream, every hope, every promise was leaving with this beautiful man she had come to love more than life itself. Beth needed Daryl more than she needed to breathe air. She went to work wetting more cloths in the bowl of now ice cold water. Maggie was working prepping something that looked like IV bags. She had the fleeting thought that they must have hit the mother lode wherever they had gone.

Doc got the machine working and heard it beep and then Doc yelled "Clear!" and everyone stepped back and watched as Daryl's body was lifted by some unseen force off the bed. If Glenn hadn't been standing behind her, she would have fallen.

The only thing that was going through Beth's mind was that this was absolutely nothing like they portrayed it to be on television. Saving someone in real life was ugly. It was terrifying.

Doc stepped back and set the machine aside as Daryl coughed and tried to sit up. Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Doc sat back and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his pajama shirt. "I don't know how you guys found this or why or why it even still works, but I'm going to call this what it is. A miracle."

Beth sent up a prayer to Heaven to give thanks for the answered prayer. Here she had prayed for intervention and snow and ice had been sent. And to top it off, they had found the defibrillator. Without any of those things, Daryl would have died. It was a miracle indeed.

Doc started an IV on Daryl, who was resting comfortably now that his fever had come down somewhat. He rifled through the large bag of antibiotics the gang had brought back and hung one up above the bed connecting it to Daryl. "And now we wait. Beth, how long do you think he was seizing before I came in the room?" Doc asked her, sitting back on his heels.

"Um, maybe a couple minutes. I had just remembered that it had snowed and that might be a good way to get his fever down". Beth answered. Everything had happened so fast and she knew that probably fifteen minutes hadn't passed before they got back with the supplies, but to Beth it seemed like days. Watching Daryl being so near death, it was as if time stood still and sped up, all at the same time.

"There probably wasn't any damage from the fever but there is a chance that the seizure could have caused some brain damage. We won't know until he wakes up. It's a small chance, but I had to mention it" He added.

Beth sat down on the side of the bed by Daryl and reached for his hand. "He'll be fine. He has to be. " Beth refused to believe any different. She would sit here with him and he would be just fine. She was confident. Her Daddy would have called it stubbornness.

* * *

It had been three days already and Daryl didn't look any closer to waking up now than he did before. It was hard to reconcile the man she knew to be Daryl with the man she saw lying beside her on the bed. Beth had finally gotten the flu, although she had a much milder case than everyone else. The first day had been horrible but she was already feeling better thanks to the medications that Doc had given her. If they had this medicine before everyone got sick, they probably would have all fared better. They might have even been able to save Jason.

Beth ended up being bunked in the same room with Daryl. Since she was feeling better over the past day, she had taken to reading to him from one of the many books she had found in the library off from the weight room. She was reading him Romeo and Juliet at the moment; one of her favorites. The words were starting to blur on the page when she felt Daryl stir. She didn't pay much attention to it. He stirred a lot in his sleep even when he wasn't sick.

"Better not be reading me some damn romance novel" Daryl said gruffly.

Beth looked up abruptly from the book to see Daryl staring up at her, his eyes watery and weak but he was okay. Beth nearly wept with relief as she set the book aside, laughing. She got up from her bed adjacent to his and sat down beside him. "Hey" she whispered, smoothing his hair back from his forehead and trying to ignore the perpetual tears streaming down her face. The only difference was that these were happy tears.

"Whoa, why are you crying?" His brow was creased and his voice was hoarse and cracking but Beth had never heard a more beautiful sound.

She laughed and wiped her tears away furiously. "I thought I'd lost you Daryl." She admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Nah, you ain't gettin' off that easy. 'M afraid you're stuck with me". Daryl said, the last part getting caught on a cough. He was still congested but he actually had some color back in his cheeks and this time it wasn't from fever. The antibiotics were actually working.

"Well I guess that's good then. Because you're definitely stuck with me". Beth sighed contentedly.

"Looks like our patient is awake" Doc said from the doorway.

"Hey Doc. Yeah, I was just telling my wife here that she ain't getting rid of me just yet." He smirked.

Doc smiled at Daryl and came over and checked him over and looked at Beth. "Now comes the fun part. He has to stay in bed and rest for a few days unless he wants a relapse". Doc looked at Daryl sternly and Beth laughed.

"Daryl Dixon? Rest? I don't think those words should be used in the same sentence". She laughed again thinking that this was going to a be a very long few days.

**Okay guys, I know I promised a longer chapter and I am pretty sure I was to have posted a chapter yesterday but honestly I have been feeling so bad and I knew you guys would understand that health comes first. Can someone please let the characters know this so they will stop begging me to write updates? Lol Hope you guys liked this chapter. As much of a bitch my muse has been the past few days telling me to write, I finally sit down to write this chapter and it was like pulling teeth. Needless to say, I have not gotten around to individual replies due to the horror that is norovirus! Also if you are reading my other fanfiction "Vanilla Fields" I will be updating that one tomorrow. As always, please leave me love on your way out. Think of it as chicken soup since I have been sick. Yeah, that's it. Yes, yes I am. I'm shameless in asking for reviews. Hahaha Until next time, xoxoxoxo **


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52

It had been five and a half weeks since the flu had hit their camp and for the most part everyone was better. Daryl still had a lingering cough but he attributed that more to smoking than anything else. Of course, he hadn't smoked that much since he had gotten better. He had even gotten a pack of cigarettes yesterday when they had made their run and had yet to smoke any of them. All the ladies in the camp had gotten a bee in their bonnet about doing something for Christmas so they had made a list to go with their regular supply. They had to scavenge three extra stores in the neighboring town to get everything on the list, but it appeared to be worth it. They were in the mess hall and the kids and adults alike were having a great time decorating their "Christmas tree". They had found an enormous piece of white paper and Beth had painted a Christmas tree on it and now the kids were using fingerpaints to make ornaments on the tree.

Everyone was in pretty good spirits and Daryl sat back and watched. Beth caught his eye in the middle of helping Mika reach the top of the tree and he smiled at her. Mika had been designated to paint the star at the top and the little blonde girl just beamed happiness. Beth was definitely in her element. He loved watching her with the kids. He knew she would make a great mom someday if they ever got out of this mess. It still puzzled Daryl sometimes why a girl like Beth would be with a guy like him, but if she ever got wind he was thinking it, and she usually did, he was in a world of trouble. He knew she loved him and he loved her too. He just couldn't help but wonder sometimes if the world hadn't gone to shit, would they have ever met. He tried not to answer that question because it was too depressing to think about. He just thanked his lucky stars that he had ridden onto the farm that day. Little could he have known that Carl getting shot would forever change his fate. All of their fate. Or maybe it was what fate had in mind in the first place. And this was why Daryl didn't like to think about shit like this very often. Why he tried to stay busy. Thinking like this never got anybody anywhere and it just made his head hurt, to be honest.

However, he couldn't help but smile watching the kids run around and just be kids. He knew they never got a chance to do that anymore. Abraham and Rosita were keeping watch at the moment so he knew they were protected and could actually afford to sit back and relax for a while. Rick walked over to where he was sitting at one of the tables and pulled up a chair.

"Hey man, looks like the Christmas party was a big hit". Rick remarked.

"We had a good run yesterday." Daryl replied, scuffing his boot along the floor at the foot of his chair.

"Many walkers?" Rick asked.

"Same as last time. Stragglers mostly. Nothing too excitin' to handle." They had run into a small horde in the supply warehouse where they had gone for a couple more kerosene heaters but they had quickly dispatched them and gone about their business.

"The winter really has made 'em slower" Rick looked over at his friend, noting that he would not meet his eyes which wasn't like him. "You okay?" Rick looked at him sideways, waiting for his reply, knowing that momentary silence with Daryl was normal. Sometimes he had to form his thoughts into words before he spoke. He understood this about him.

"Yeah, just sometimes wonder what it is that Beth sees in me." Daryl looked at Rick and met his eyes. He wasn't sure how to convey that he didn't feel good enough for her.

"She sees a good man. She sees a man who provides for his family and sticks up for his friends." Rick assured him.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders. "Still don't explain why she wants to _be_ with me." Daryl remarked.

"Did you ever stop to think that she needs you as much as you need her? " Rick looked at him pointedly and Daryl paused, mulling that over.

He hadn't really thought of that before. He knew he needed Beth. Needed her like he needed oxygen. But he hadn't ever really considered that she actually need him like that.

"What I see in the two of you, what I see between you, it's rare brother. You need to claim it. Love like that don't just happen everyday." Rick said thoughtfully, looking over at Jenna who was currently holding Judith and bouncing her on her leg. She was talking to Carol and they were laughing at something Judy was doing.

Daryl nodded thinking about what his friend just told him. He knew what they had was rare, to him. Because Daryl had never experienced anything like what he had with Beth in his entire life. So yeah, it was rare to him. He had never put much weight into the fact that it was rare to other people too.

Beth watched as Daryl and Rick appeared to be deep in conversation. Daryl had been reticent since he had gotten over the flu. She was so grateful that the flu had, for the most part, spared their small group that had come to be family. They had only lost Jason and everyone else seemed to have fared pretty well.

Mika kept jumping up and down trying to reach a high spot for another ornament. The kids were having so much fun that it was hard to believe it was almost lights out. It had been a day filled with lots of fun. They had each had a present to open. Mika had gotten a doll and Judith had one just like it. Judith was walking now and she followed Mika everywhere and Mika loved it. She doted on the little girl and Judith looked up to her. Carl had a new hat, almost an exact replica of the one he had buried at their memorial. Beth smiled thinking that she thought it was a sign. She couldn't wait to give Daryl his Christmas present when they got back to their room later.

Rick clapped Daryl on the back. "Merry Christmas bro."

"Merry Christmas to you too, man" He said as he watched him walk away. The words felt foreign on Daryl's lips. He wasn't sure he had ever uttered them before. Maybe a handful of times but he didn't think he had ever actually meant them. He reached up to pat down his vest, making sure Beth's gift was still in his pocket. He was kind of nervous about giving it to her. He had never given a girl a present before, but this wasn't just a girl he told himself. Beth was his wife. Sometimes the concept was still a little strange to him. Daryl had never considered himself the marrying kind. But he found that he had settled into the role pretty well. Sometimes, for all his doubts, it felt as if he was made for the life he shared with Beth. He was her husband but he was also her protector. And that was it really. He felt like he was put on this earth to keep Beth safe. And that was fine with him. He smiled up at Beth as he saw her approaching. The party was winding down. Carol had taken Mika and Summer with her to get them tucked in and Judy had gone with Rick, kicking her little feet. Beth had laughed. Ever since she figured out she could walk, she never wanted to slow down.

Beth leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to Daryl's lips, surprised when he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the ground. She loved spontaneous Daryl and she squealed a little. "You ready to go to bed" Beth asked him saucily as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Daryl pulled back a little to look at her and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and she playfully swatted at his arm. "You know I am Princess." He whispered gruffly before meeting her lips again.

They walked arm in arm back to their room and closed the door behind them. Beth leaned back against the door and looked at him thoughtfully. "Don't be mad, I know we said no presents, but I promise you're going to like it. At least I hope so." She wore a slightly worried expression and she bit down on her lower lip like she always did when she was considering something.

Daryl wiped his palms on his jeans. "'S okay, I got you something too. Well it's for both of us." He admitted sheepishly.

Beth looked at him abruptly. "That's funny. Mine is for us too." She said mysteriously. "Okay, you go first." She told him sitting down on the bed beside him.

"Nah, ladies first." He replied watching her, marveling at the way she was looking at him. He knew he could live to see a million sunsets and never see anything as beautiful as his Beth sitting beside him, her face slightly flushed. Sometimes he could hardly believe she was his.

"No I want you to go first." She insisted.

Daryl sighed and reached into his vest pocket and pulled out the small black box, his hand shaking slightly as he opened it and presented it to her.

Beth looked down and she gasped slightly as he opened the box. Nestled in black velvet was a simple princess cut diamond ring set in white gold and surrounded with accent diamonds on either side. Beth's eyes filled with tears as she looked up at him. "No more twine ring?" She wiggled her finger at him even as the tears spilled down her cheeks.

"You don't like it?" Daryl's shoulders slumped forward. He knew he shouldn't have listened to Glenn who had helped him find it.

"Daryl baby. No. I love it." Beth held out her finger for him to slip the ring on.

He met her eyes with relief and slipped the ring from the box and slid it on her finger, the ring fitting her perfectly like it was made for her and her alone.

Beth placed one hand on each side of Daryl's face and pulled him to her, kissing him fiercely. This man never ceased to amaze her. "Thank you. I love it!" He pulled the matching ring from his pocket, the one he was supposed to wear. He held it in front of her and she grasped it in her fingers. "This is for you to wear?" He nodded and she couldn't seem to swallow past the lump in her throat. The fact that he had gone out of his way to find them wedding rings to wear meant so much to her. He held out his finger and she eased the ring over his knuckle and settled it in place.

"Figured it would be nice if we had rings to go with our story. Maybe seeing the rings people won't ask so many questions." he remarked. But Beth knew what he was trying to say. "Plus I just want to wear one. Let people know I'm yours and you're mine." He said simply.

Beth just nodded, not trusting herself to speak right now. The tears were still flowing down her face. This man never ceased to amaze her. Just when she thought she had him figured out, he went and did something completely unexpected.

She wiped her tears and exclaimed. "Now I feel bad though. My present to you. Is different." She halted and put her hand behind her back and pulled out her gift handing it to him. "But it's good different" She assured him.

His eyes were wide. "A pregnancy test?" He looked at her, seeing the glint in her eyes as her eyes filled up with tears again. "You're pregnant?" His voice was barely above a whisper as it dawned on him what she was telling him.

She nodded solemnly. "I saw Doc Fisher today. He confirmed it. Heard the heartbeat with this little machine he had. He says I'm about 8 weeks." Beth was beaming. "He says the timing will be perfect. We should be in Washington in plenty of time for me to have the baby".

Daryl just nodded. Words right now failed him. He worried about Beth, sure and he didn't want to hope too much but he wanted this baby. Their baby. He pulled Beth into his arms and buried his face in her neck. "I love you." He whispered.

"So you're happy?" she asked him.

He pulled back and looked at her. "'Course I'm happy. It's our baby." He said gruffly.

Beth sighed against him, relishing the feeling of his arms around her. She never felt safer anywhere than she did in his arms. She felt as long as he held her, then nothing bad could happen. She knew he would keep her safe. Better than that, he would keep their baby safe. No matter what.

"Merry Christmas Mr. Dixon." Beth whispered as he held her tight.

"Merry Christmas Mrs. Dixon." He answered her.

And it was. A Merry Christmas indeed.

**Okay too cheesy? I wanted them to have something happy for a chance and someone suggested they have Christmas several chapters back and I wanted to do it and this seemed as good a time as any. Then I got the idea for Daryl to give Beth a ring and the rest just happened. So let me know if you liked this chapter or not. I'm still trying to balance writing two fics and I have found that alternating days is working pretty good so I might continue on this avenue. Thanks so so so much for the reviews and favorites and follows. I know I have said it before, but it's like crack to me! hahaha Until next time, xoxoxoxo**


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Seven Months Later, Alexandria Safe Zone

Beth's screams rent the air around them and Daryl was fiercely glad they were behind the fences of the Safe Zone. He paced back and forth in the room. Beth had gone into labor twenty minutes ago and there hadn't been time to move her from the White House. At present, they were in the oval office where they had just been attending a council meeting with the new President of the United States, President Jonathan Akers. He had been the chief of staff before the turn and since the President and nearly everyone else was dead or re-dead he had been voted in early after it all happened.

Daryl paced back and forth in front of the desk that the President normally sat behind. The whole thing was pretty surreal to him. If someone had told him three years ago that his wife would be delivering their first child in the oval office inside the White House, he would have laughed them all the way out of Georgia. He ran a hand through his hair again. "Are you done?" He asked Doc Fisher for the fifteenth time in as many minutes. The baby had been turned the wrong way and Doc had to turn the baby while it was already in the birth canal. Daryl actually felt like he was going to throw up. Seeing Beth in this much pain was unbearable. It was his job to protect her and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about any of this.

"Yeah, I'm done. She's ready to push again. I need your help Daryl." He motioned for Daryl to join him at the end of the sofa. Daryl wasn't sure about any of this, but he quickly went to where Doc was positioned between Beth's legs. Absurdly Daryl had a fleeting memory of when his cat Jasmine had given birth to three kittens when he was a kid. He shook his head to clear the image. This was nothing like having kittens, you dumbass, he told himself.

"Okay now Beth with this next contraction, I am going to need you to push". Doc instructed and Daryl looked up at Beth who was nodding her understanding even as her brow was furrowed in pain.

"It hurts so bad". Beth was panting now. It felt like she was being ripped in half with each contraction. When Doc had turned the baby she had thought she was going to die right then and there and she wasn't sure she cared. Anything to stop the pain. This day had not turned out anything like she thought it would, she thought. And then another contraction hit her, the waves of pain building and her stomach tightening up.

She had an unbearable urge to bear down even as Doc told her to push. She pushed with everything she had in her, focusing on Daryl's face. He was looking up at her and he looked terrified. He looked so uncertain holding a clean white towel in his hand that her heart nearly broke. She had never seen him look so unsure of himself, not even when they had been together for the first time.

Beth felt a sudden relief in pressure as she heard the wail of her baby pierce the air of the oval office. And it seemed silly and happy and unbelievably good, Beth felt the tears already streaming down her cheeks. She pushed herself up on her elbows, trying to get a first peek of the baby.

"It's a girl" exclaimed Doc Fisher. Daryl met her eyes just then and he was smiling, even as tears traced their way down his cheeks. He had been right. Daryl had been insisting for months that it was a girl even as Beth was sure that it was a boy.

Doc handed the baby over to Daryl's waiting arms. Daryl accepted his newborn daughter into his arms and wrapped her carefully in the towel, knowing he had never held anything more precious than he did right now. He got up from the foot of the couch and carried his little girl up to meet her mama.

"This is your mama, Lil Bit". He crooned to her as he placed a kiss on her forehead. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen besides her mama who was beaming up at him with outstretched arms.

He settled himself right beside her as he handed her their daughter, feeling a burst of pride that this was his family.

Beth took the baby in her arms, whispering softly to her as her whimpers faded away. The light was coming through the windows of the oval office and Daryl knew that he had never experienced a more perfect moment than he was right now. Everything he had never even hoped to dream of was in this room with him right now.

Beth looked up at Daryl in wonderment. "Isn't she beautiful?" She whispered as her daughter snuggled against her chest, her tiny fists curled into balls and her eyes fluttering closed. She had the softest blonde downy hair covering her entire head in soft wisps, full cheeks and a tiny little bow-shaped mouth.

Daryl could only nod, not trusting himself to speak right now. He used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe away the tears that kept coming whether he wanted them to or not. The sight of his wife holding their newborn child was nearly a religious experience and Daryl sent up a prayer of thanks. The man upstairs sure had been good to them recently and he was going to give credit where credit was due.

They had found the Alexandria Safe Zone a couple months back. The trip had been brutal but worth it. There were walls around the entire place that no walker could pass. Beyond that there were perimeter fences set up three miles wide on each side. They were finally safe. It had taken them a while to settle and actually feel like they would be okay. Daryl hadn't wanted to believe it at first and kept waiting for the other shoe to drop but it really was a sanctuary. He still thought about Sanctuary Station from time to time and the false promise they had advertised. But this place, Safe Zone, it was truly a sanctuary from their cold world. The dead still walked the earth. There was still crime and bad people but for the most part, their life was a good one now.

"You're both beautiful" he finally managed to speak, his voice gravelly with emotion.

Beth looked up at this man, this beautiful man she called her husband and knew she was the luckiest girl alive. "Yeah, sure, I'm really beautiful with my hair all matted down". Doc was still ministering to her and finally sat back and covered her with the blanket.

"We'll have to get you both to the hospital and have you checked out but everything looks good to me" He said with a smile. The hospital was a few miles away and was virtually unaffected by the turn. Practically everything in the Safe Zone had been unscathed by the epidemic that had hit their nation a few years earlier.

Beth and Daryl both nodded assent to Doc Fisher who was closing the door to the oval office behind him. Beth wondered momentarily what President Akers thought of her giving birth in his office.

As if reading her mind Daryl spoke up. "I think we owe the President a new sofa". And they both laughed. Beth sat up beside Daryl holding their baby close.

"What are we going to name her?" Beth asked him. He was gently stroking their daughter's head, his large palm such a stark difference to her tiny head.

Daryl looked over at her and met her eyes. "I dunno". He said simply. "We had all those boy names picked out since someone was convinced it was a boy". He couldn't help but tease her a little bit. Truth was, he would have been happy with a boy or a girl so long as it meant that Beth was okay. But now that the baby was here and Beth was doing great, it was almost too much for him. He felt the tears coming again and wondered what the hell had happened to him all the sudden.

"How about Ella?" Beth asked him as she looked down at their sleeping daughter. "Ella Grace Dixon." She tested the name on her lips.

"Sounds great to me" Daryl remarked and then pressed a kiss to Beth's lips.

She pulled back to look at him, noting the tears and reaching one hand up to wipe them away. He really amazed her sometimes.

"You tell anybody I cried, I'll deny it". Daryl said gruffly but his words held no bite. She knew that now. His bark had always been worse than his bite.

She laughed. "I won't tell anybody. You're secret is safe with me, Daddy Dixon". She said affectionately as she held her hand against his face, Ella asleep between them.

Daryl laughed too and it felt good. Too damn good. He forced away all thoughts of the other shoe dropping and accepted the happiness the universe was handing him.

"I love you Beth". He said simply as he looked at her, knowing it to be true. He loved her with everything in him. "You're my everything. You both are." He looked down at Ella and his heart surged with pride.

"Everything" Beth whispered as she pressed her lips to his. And it was true. They were everything to each other and now they had Ella. All was right in their world. They had been to hell and back and survived.

Daryl looked over at Beth and smiled. She was his life and he knew now with no uncertainty that she loved him and was going to stick with him no matter what. He had finally come to accept the love that she gave him, which was more than any man could ever hope to find. He now accepted it with no questions lingering in the back of his mind and he was grateful for it.

**Okay guys, I know you probably didn't expect this but it just seemed like their story was done….for now. I am planning a sequel for them later. I hope you liked the story. I think I warned you guys a few chapters ago that I could only see about 7 more chapters. So it was maybe a couple less, but it was just time. I am sad too, believe me. But the great thing about fanfiction is we can rewrite their story again and again and I have a great idea that I am going to put to paper later tonight or tomorrow. We will see how it goes. I really hope that you liked the final chapter of this story. I am pretty pleased with how it turned out, although you guys are the true judges. Let me know what you think. There is going to be one more chapter but it is just the songs that I listened to while this story played itself out in my head and then put it to paper. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know! If you haven't already, stroll on over to my other story, Vanilla Fields (an AU – no zombies) which is starting to really heat up right now. Teehee! Xoxoxoxo **


	54. Chapter 54

MY PLAYLIST FOR "ACCEPTING LOVE"

"Be Good" – Emily Kinney

"Chasing Cars" – Snow Patrol

"Bring Me to Life" – Evanescence

"The Parting Glass" – Emily Kinney and Lauren Cohan

"November Rain" - Guns N Roses

"The Last Night" – Skillet

"Patience" - Guns N Roses

"Boats and Birds" – Gregory and the Hawk

"Let Her Go" – Passenger

"Sail" – AWOL Nation

"Shepherd of Fire" – Avenged Sevenfold

"Tears in Heaven" - Eric Clapton

"Until the End" – Breaking Benjamin

"Closer to Love" – Mat Kearney

"Hold On" – Emily Kinney

"All of Me" – John Legend

"Say Something" – Great Big World and Christina Aguilera

**These are the songs I listened to while writing this fanfiction. I do not own the characters or the Walking Dead or any of these songs. I just borrowed them. **


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